RubberDucks Game RecapSeaWolves 5 RubberDucks 3WP: Matt Crouse (7-6) LP: David Speer (2-3) Save: Mark Ecker (1) SummaryThe RubberDucks took a 3-0 lead in the fourth on four singles, but the SeaWolves' three-run eighth inning, sparked by Mike Gerber's RBI triple, gave Erie the 5-3 win Friday night at UPMC Park.
RubberDucks Game Recap
SeaWolves 5 RubberDucks 3
WP: Matt Crouse (7-6) LP: David Speer (2-3) Save: Mark Ecker (1)
Summary
The RubberDucks took a 3-0 lead in the fourth on four singles, but the SeaWolves' three-run eighth inning, sparked by Mike Gerber's RBI triple, gave Erie the 5-3 win Friday night at UPMC Park.
Turning Point
Erie took its first lead of the game on a Christin Stewart sac fly, scoring Mike Gerber after his RBI triple in the SeaWolves' three-run eighth inning.
Winging It
Ducks starter Shane Bieber faced the minimum number of batters through the first four innings, surrendering only a bunt single. Bieber's first hiccup came in the fifth when he gave up a leadoff solo shot to Eastern League home run leader Christin Stewart, making it 3-1 Akron. Bieber cruised through the first six innings, but faced trouble in the seventh after giving up a double and an RBI single to Kody Eaves to cut Akron's lead to 3-2. Bieber exited in the 7th with two outs and two on, giving way to left-hander David Speer, who struck out Grayson Greiner to finish the inning. Bieber finished with 6.2 innings, two runs, all earned, a walk and eight strikeouts. Speer came back in the eighth, giving up three runs in the eight to give the SeaWolves a 5-3 lead. Cameron Hill struck out Logan Watkins to end the inning. Erie starter A.J. Ladwig went six innings, giving up 4 hits, three runs, all earned and a walk on six strikeouts.
Duck Tales
Akron got it rolling in the third with a slew of singles. After Sever and Mejia singled, Bobby Bradley drove in Sever. Yu Chang followed up with a walk. Taylor Murphy hit the Ducks' fourth single of the inning, scoring Mejia and Bradley with two outs to make it 3-0 Akron. Erie's Christin Stewart went 2-3 with two RBI with a homer and a sac fly.
Notebook
Shane Bieber's eight strikeouts is RubberDucks high for him… Joe Sever has hit safely in six consecutive games, with three multi-hit games in that stretch… Time of Game: 2:31… Attendance: 3,667.
On Deck
The RubberDucks will face the SeaWolves for the third of a four-game series Saturday. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. Matt Esparza (5-5, 5.33) is expected to take the mound for Akron against Erie's Spencer Turnbull (0-2, 7.20). The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1350 AM, the WARF iHeart channel and the TuneIn Radio App.
