Akron Bats bring Hartford back even with Somerset atop Northeast Division
WP - Joey Cantillo (3-3) LP - Noah Davis (4-4) T - 2:43 A - 4,952 Hartford, Conn - Despite two RBIs by Brenton Doyle and another two-hit night for Ezequiel Tovar, Akron rode 18 hits to a 13-3 win over the Yard Goats at Dunkin’ Donuts Park on Wednesday
WP - Joey Cantillo (3-3)
LP - Noah Davis (4-4)
T - 2:43
A - 4,952
Hartford, Conn - Despite two RBIs by Brenton Doyle and another two-hit night for Ezequiel Tovar, Akron rode 18 hits to a 13-3 win over the Yard Goats at Dunkin’ Donuts Park on Wednesday night. The Somerset Patriots swept their doubleheader with New Hampshire, bringing the Yard Goats back into a tie atop the Eastern League Northeast division.
After not scoring until the eighth inning last night, the Rubber Ducks started off the game with two singles to right field. Two batters later, Micah Pries hit a one-out home run into the visitor’s bullpen in left-center field to give Akron an early 3-0 lead.
But, as he did a game ago, Tovar got Hartford on the board in the first, this time an RBI double to the gap in left for his 42nd RBI of the season, good for third in the Eastern League. Aaron Schunk moved the shortstop to third with a flyout to right, and Doyle got Hartford back within one on a sacrifice fly.
In the top of the second, Daniel Schneemann singled to left, stole second and third base and then came home on a wild pitch. Following a walk to leadoff hitter Brayan Rocchio, Bo Naylor hit his second home run in as many nights to put Akron ahead 6-2. An inning later, Julian Escobedo stole second and was attempting to steal third when Marcos Gonzalez singled him home to make it 7-2. Doyle drove in his second run of the night in the bottom of the inning on an opposite-field triple to make it 7-3.
Akron tacked on two more in the fourth on a George Valera sacrifice fly and an RBI single by Pries. In the top of the fifth, Niko Decolati picked up his second Double-A assist with a throw from right field to keep Escobedo from stretching a single into a double. The Rubber Ducks would go on to score one more in the sixth, two in the seventh and Jonathan Engelmann capped the scoring with a homer to left in the ninth.
The Yard Goats (38-21) and Rubber Ducks (34-25) play again tomorrow, June 16 (7:05 ET) at Dunkin’ Donuts Park. RHP Karl Kauffmann starts for Hartford, and LHP Logan Allen will start for Akron. The game will be broadcast on Newsradio 1410 WPOP.