Hartford 1- 6-1Akron 5-15-0WP- Matt Whitehouse (3-1)LP- Brandon Gold (6-4)T- 2:57A- 4,491
Hartford 1- 6-1
Akron 5-15-0
WP- Matt Whitehouse (3-1)
LP- Brandon Gold (6-4)
T- 2:57
A- 4,491
AKRON, OH- Led by Connor Marabell's three hits and two runs batted in, the Akron RubberDucks unleashed a 15-hit attack to sink the Hartford Yard Goats, 5-1, Wednesday night in the rain at Canal Park. The loss dropped Hartford (36-27) into second place a 1/2 game behind first place Trenton with five games remaining in the Eastern Division's first-half playoff race. The Eastern League is playing split seasons this year.
Akron (33-31), which has won the first two games of the three-game set, scored the only runs it needed in the first inning off of Yard Goats' starter Brandon Gold. With one out, Ka'ai Tom singled, moved to second on Gold's errant pick off attempt and scored on Marabell's double to the base of the wall in dead center. After a fly out and a walk, Mitch Longo singled to center, scoring Marabell. The RubberDucks tacked on a run in the third on consecutive singles by Tyler Friis and Ernie Clement and a two-out single by Marabell.
In suffering the loss, Gold (6-4) pitched five innings, allowed three runs on nine hits, walked one and struck out one.
The Yard Goats scored their only run in the fourth inning. With two outs, Akron starter Sam Hentges issued back-to-back walks, before Vance Vizcaino delivered a run-scoring single. Hentges was ejected from the game, following the hit and Matt Whitehouse entered and pitched three scoreless innings to notch the victory. Robert Broom and Kyle Nelson closed out the relief effort of the RubberDucks, holding Hartford hitless.
Scott Burcham had a single and double and Vizcaino an RBI-double to pace the Yard Goats' offense.
The finale of the three-game series is Thursday at 7:05 PM. LHP Ty Culbreth will pitch for Hartford, while RHP Eli Morgan will be on the mound for Akron. The game will be broadcast on News Radio 1410 AM, on 100.9 FM and on the Internet on newsradio1410.iheart.com and on MiLB.com. Hartford returns to Dunkin' Donuts Park on Tuesday, June 18 at 7:05 PM against Bowie.
