Reading Battled, But Fell to Akron On Saturday
The Reading Fightin Phils fell to the Akron RubberDucks in both games on a cold Sunday doubleheader. The R-Phils were one-hit in game one falling 11-0. The second contest was a strong pitchers duel that went scoreless into extras. Reading scored first, but Akron walked it off in the bottom
The Reading Fightin Phils fell to the Akron RubberDucks in both games on a cold Sunday doubleheader. The R-Phils were one-hit in game one falling 11-0. The second contest was a strong pitchers duel that went scoreless into extras. Reading scored first, but Akron walked it off in the bottom half.
Game 1
Akron scored early and often against the Fightins pitching staff. They put up four in the second and three in the third. After six innings, the RubberDucks compiled eleven runs off thirteen hits.
Josh Ockimey notched the first and only hit for Reading, singling up the middle in the top of the seventh.
Southpaw Josh Hendrickson pitched an inning and a third letting up six hits and seven runs. Julian Garcia followed out of the bullpen allowing one run on two hits, but striking out three. Mike Adams pitched two frames letting up four this and three runs. Bubby Rossman followed with a clean outing in the sixth.
Game 2
A pitcher's duel through and through both teams fought to keep it scoreless into extras.
Jonathan Guzman had a base knock in the first for Reading’s first hit and Ockimey followed with one of his own in the fourth.
The Fightins threatened in the sixth when Colby Fitch walked and a sacrifice bunt from Kevin Vicuna moved him over. A fielder’s choice put Jhailyn Ortiz on first and Ockimey moved him over with another base hit. But Reading left two on to keep it scoreless.
The contest went into extras and the R-Phils sent out their placed runner, Hunter Markwardt, to second. Sal Gozzo sent a perfect sac bunt down the first base line to shift Markwardt to third. Then, Fitch sent a sacrifice fly ball deep to right to send him home. Reading led 1-0.
McKinley Moore was called upon for the bottom of the eighth in a save situation. Seth Cadell went out to second as the placed runner and came home on a Brayan Rocchio single. With the bases loaded, Micah Pries lined a ball to right to score the winning run. Akron took the game 2-1.
Braden Zarbnisky got the first start of his professional career as Reading threw aa bullpen game on Sunday evening. He put up a zero on the scoreboard and then passed the ball to Zach Warren for the second. Warren pitched two innings of clean work, striking out four. Francisco Morales was brilliant in his two innings of scoreless work. Brian Marconi sat down the RubberDucks in ten pitches in the sixth. The lefty also took the seventh, loading the bases, but getting out of the inning cleanly.
The Double-A affiliate of the Phillies will return home on April 19 with a 6:45 start against the Harrisburg Senators (Nationals). Come celebrate the beginning of a great summer with us! Visit rphils.com/tickets, the Weidenhammer Ticket Office, or call 610-370-BALL to secure your tickets to a game!
The 2022 season is presented by Pepsi.
America's Classic Ballpark is proud to be a part of Pennsylvania's Americana Region and was voted the #1 stadium in all of Double-A by MiLB's Ben Hill. Follow the R-Phils at rphils.com, on Twitter and TikTok at @ReadingFightins, on Instagram @fightins, and like them on Facebook via www.facebook.com/fightins for all information