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(Akron, OH) - It was one of those rare times where the visiting team came in more rested than the hosts, with the RubberDucks not arriving home until early on Thursday morning. Despite the quick turnaround, the Fightins first visit to Canal Park was a memorable one, with the longest game of the season lasting 3 hours and 41 minutes. With the offense humming for the second straight day, it was Austin Listi providing the game-winner with his fourth hit: a three-RBI double in the top of the 10^th en route to a 9-6 win that ended a back-and-forth affair.
After allowing the Senators to score in the first inning in each of the previous three games, it was the Fightins turn against 2018 Eastern League Midseason All-Star Jake Paulsen. Mickey Moniak singled up the middle on the first pitch of the ballgame, and after stealing second base, he advanced to third on a flyout to center. With one out, Adam Haseley came through with an infield single for the first run. Another single from Listi put runners at the corners, and Darick Hall added to his team-leading RBI total by driving in his 16^th run with a sacrifice fly to center for a 2-0 lead. Cornelius Randolph had the fourth hit of the inning with a hard liner down the left field line, but was thrown out at second for the final out.
In the bottom of the first, Daniel Johnson reached on a single with two outs off Mauricio Llovera . The righthander soon worked ahead of switch-hitter Wilson Garcia , who pounced on an 0-2 pitch and drilled a game-tying two-run homer to right for the first counterpunch of the night. Reading came right back in the second when Arquimedes Gamboa led off with a walk and stole second base. With two outs, Moniak came through with his second hit to break the tie. In the third, another leadoff blow came on Adam Haseley's third home run for a 4-1 lead.
Llovera retired six straight going into the fourth inning, which started with back-to-back hits from Connor Marabell and former Fightin Drew Stankiewicz to put the tying runs on base. Two batters later, catcher Logan Ice hit a go-ahead three-run homer to give the RubberDucks their first lead at 5-4. Llovera became just the second starter to last six innings, allowing five earned runs on seven hits with only one walk and seven strikeouts.
Reading re-tied it in the sixth when Gamboa led off with a walk for the third time against lefthander Ben Krauth . Austin Bossart backed him up with a single, and Moniak did it again with a flared single the other way to left for his second run batted in and a 5-5 tie. In the seventh against sidewinder Nick Sandlin , Listi opened the inning with a bunt single and Hall was hit by a pitch to put two runners on with no outs. Gamboa walked a fourth time to set a new career-high, becoming the first Fightin to achieve the feat since KC Serna against Altoona on June 12, 2016. With the bases loaded, Bossart drew a walk for his sixth RBI in the last eight games, giving Reading the lead once more at 6-5.
JD Hammer fired two perfect innings of relief to send it to the ninth, where the RubberDucks tied the score and forced extras on three walks and a wild pitch. In the tenth, the R-Phils loaded the bases against lefthander David Speer with walks by Luke Williams and Haseley. On 2-2, Listi crushed a three-RBI double off the left field wall to clear the bases and break the tie for a 9-6 lead. Alexis Rivero then closed it out for his first save by striking out Marabell as the tying run at the plate.
America's Classic Ballpark is proud to be a part of Pennsylvania's Americana Region. Season tickets for the 2019 season are available online at Fightins.com, by phone at 610-370-BALL, and in-person at the Weidenhammer Ticket Office at FirstEnergy Stadium. Follow the Fightin Phils on Twitter at @ReadingFightins, Instagram at @fightins, and like them on Facebook via www.facebook.com/fightins.