5/29 -- Baysox Come Up Short in 9-8 Slugfest

BOWIE, Md. -- Ka'ai Tom hit a pair of three-run home runs to lead the Akron RubberDucks to a 9-8 win over the Bowie Baysox in front of 1,077 at Prince George's Stadium Wednesday night.
Connor Marabell hit a solo home run for the second straight game and gave the Ducks a first-inning lead for the second time in the series. Down 1-0, the Baysox (19-32) mounted a four-run rally to take a 4-1 lead.
After the first three men reached safely to load the bases, a wild pitch allowed Mason McCoy to score and tie the game. With one out, Martin Cervenka and Rylan Bannon each lined opposite-field RBI singles to plate Ryan McKenna and Austin Hays, respectively. 
The hosts reloaded the bases for T.J. Nichting, who became the fourth straight hitter to bat a ball the opposite way with a sacrifice fly to right field. Cervenka scored to increase the lead to 4-1. Akron starter Tanner Tully had allowed more than two earned runs in just two of his nine 2019 starts prior to Wednesday night. 
Akron (26-25) got a second run in the third inning, but Ademar Rifaela quickly answered to lead off the bottom half of the frame. The lefty drew a 3-1 count and then muscled an opposite-field solo home run to left field. The Baysox took a 5-2 lead on Rifaela's sixth long ball of the 2019 season. 
An Akron string of seven consecutive runs over the final five innings was answered by Bowie in the bottom of the ninth. With two outs, Hays launched a three-run home run to left field, scoring McCoy and McKenna for the first Double-A long ball of the season for the center fielder.
The Baysox and RubberDucks conclude their three-game series Thursday morning at 11:05 a.m. during the final Baseball in Education game of the season. RHP Marcos Molina (3-4, 3.42) looks to build on his seven strong innings last Friday in Erie against RHP Jake Paulson (2-3, 4.43).