Aubrey powers Aeros into Finals

Michael Aubrey homered twice and drove in four runs Saturday to power the Akron Aeros to an 8-6 victory over the Erie SeaWolves and a spot in the Eastern League Championship Series.

Aubrey blasted a two-run shot in the fourth inning and launched another two-run jack in a five-run fifth that gave the Aeros a 7-6 lead.

The 25-year-old first baseman had two multi-homer games during the regular season. The four RBIs tied his career high, set on June 16 with Class A Advanced Kinston.

The Aeros have won the EL Southern Division three straight years and are making their fourth Championship Series appearance in five seasons. Their last title came in 2003 with three straight wins over New Haven.

Akron opens the best-of-5 Finals on Tuesday at Trenton.

Trevor Crowe hit a two-run single in the fifth and Stephen Head cranked a solo shot in the sixth. Head batted .444 with three homers and seven RBIs in the series.

Akron starter Robert Brownlie (1-0) got the win, despite allowing six runs -- three earned -- on six hits with five strikeouts over five innings. Reliever Jim Ed Warden tossed a perfect ninth for his second save.

Michael Hollimon went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer in the fifth and two runs scored for the SeaWolves. Jeff Larish delivered a two-run double in the first, giving him seven RBIs in the series.

Erie starter Dallas Trahern (0-1) gave up seven runs on seven hits and fanned three over five innings.