FREDERICK, MD -Keegan Akin tossed 7.2 innings of no-hit baseball as the Frederick Keys (33-42) defeated the Wilmington Blue Rocks (40-36) 5-1 on Tuesday night at Nymeo Field. Earning the win, the left-hander (6-5) finished the night with eight innings of shutout ball.After seven innings without surrendering a hit, Akin
FREDERICK, MD -Keegan Akin tossed 7.2 innings of no-hit baseball as the Frederick Keys (33-42) defeated the Wilmington Blue Rocks (40-36) 5-1 on Tuesday night at Nymeo Field. Earning the win, the left-hander (6-5) finished the night with eight innings of shutout ball.
After seven innings without surrendering a hit, Akin struck out Chase Vallot and Chris DeVito to begin the eighth. That is when Cody Jones broke up the no-hitter with a bloop single into center field. It was the longest nine-inning no-hit bid by a Keys pitcher since former Key Parker Bridwell carried a hitless game through 8.1 innings against the Potomac Nationals on May 13, 2014. The eight innings marked the longest outing by a Keys pitcher this year.
The Keys jumped out to an early lead thanks to a Ryan Mountcastle solo home run in the first inning off of Blue Rocks starter Scott Blewett. Two more would come home in the third when Ademar Rifaela smashed a home run of his own to right field, making it 3-0 Keys.
Frederick would add a pair of runs in the fifth. Glynn Davis led off the inning with a double, and would come around to score thanks to a strikeout and an error. Mountcastle chased a pitch in the dirt, and Davis broke for third when Vallot threw the ball to first. The Blue Rocks completed the strikeout, but Davis scored when first basemen Chris DeVito threw it past Wander Franco at third. Later in the inning, Randolph Gassaway doubled and was brought home by an RBI single from Shane Hoelscher , extending the Keys lead to 5-0.
Wilmington scored their only run in the ninth. Following a walk and a single against Jay Flaa , Roman Collins grounded into a double play that scored a run. Flaa would later get Franco to pop out to second and end the game.
Blewett (4-6) took the loss for the Blue Rocks, allowing five runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings. Against the Keys this year, the right-hander has allowed 12 earned runs over 8.2 innings, and has surrendered five home runs.
The four-game series continues on Wednesday when the Keys and Blue Rocks meet at 7:00 p.m. Cristian Alvarado (3-7, 6.78) takes the mound for the Keys and will be opposed by Jared Ruxer (4-1, 3.05) for the Blue Rocks. The game can be heard on 1450 AM The Source, frederickkeys.com, and the TuneIn Radio App.
Homestand highlights include Keyote's Birthday on June 30, Caddyshack Night on Saturday, July 1 with an appearance by Michael O'Keefe (aka Danny Noonan) as well as four fireworks shows. For ticket information, fans can call the Keys at 301-815-9939 or visit frederickkeys.com.
