RubberDucks' Bats Lift Akron Past Hartford, 5-1

RubberDucks Game Recap
RubberDucks (33-31) 5 Yard Goats (36-27) 1
WP: Matt Whitehouse (3-1) LP: Brandon Gold (6-4) Save: none

Summary
The Akron RubberDucks scored three runs in the first two innings to take the early lead and never looked back, defeating the Hartford Yard Goats, 5-1, Wednesday night at Canal Park.

Turning Point
Connor Marabell got the RubberDucks offense going early with an RBI double to center field, scoring Ka'ai Tom who reached on a broken-bat single. Marabell would then come around to score when Mitch Longo smacked a line drive single right back up the middle, giving Akron the early 2-0 lead in the first inning.
Mound Presence
Akron RubberDucks starter Sam Hentges worked well in 3.2 innings, allowing only one run on four hits, walking three and striking out four Yard Goat batters before being ejected with two out in the fourth inning. Matt Whitehouse came on in relief of Hentges and was stellar, allowing only two hits in three innings of work and striking out four. Robert Broom and Kyle Nelson combined for 2.2 innings of hitless, scoreless to finish off the game in relief for the RubberDucks.
Duck Tales
The RubberDucks utilized opportunistic scoring in the first and second innings to jump out ahead 3-0, with Connor Marabell responsible for driving in two of the three runs. Each Akron RubberDucks hitter collected at least one hit and four Ducks posted multi-hit games as the team totaled 15 base hits, three of which went for extra-base hits, off Hartford pitching. The Akron RubberDucks added two insurance runs in the bottom of the 8th on a Li-Jen Chu RBI single, bringing in Alex Call who led off the inning with a triple to the right field wall. Ka'ai Tom added his 31st RBI on the season with a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the 8th to put the game out of reach, 5-1.
Notebook
Ka'ai Tom has reached base safely in 22 straight games, which is the longest streak in the Eastern League and the longest by a RubberDuck this season … Connor Marabell posted his fifth three-hit of the season, going 3-for-5 on the … The RubberDucks collected 15 or more hits for the fourth time this season, with their highest hit total of the season being 17 (5/29@BOW)… Time of Game: 2:57… Attendance: 4,491
On the Pond
The RubberDucks will finish their three-game set with the Hartford Yard Goats Thursday night, before the Portland Sea Dogs come to Canal Park for their first visit of 2019. The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1350 AM, the WARF iHeart channel, and the TuneIn Radio App. Eli Morgan (4-0, 1.78) will be the starter for Akron as the RubberDucks face off against Ty Culbreth (3-6, 4.38) and Hartford.