Akron RubberDucks results: Valdes homers, Messick dominant in Ducks walk-off win

Dayan Frias ripped a walk-off single to right field that scored Guy Lipscomb and helped the RubberDucks secure a 2-1 win over the Fightin' Phils in the series finale at Canal Park on Sunday afternoon.

The Ducks (63-45) trailed 1-0 heading in to the bottom of the eighth inning before Yordys Valdes launched a solo home run to tie it up and set up Frias' heroics in the ninth.

Reading (46-61) only managed three hits and scored its lone run on a wild pitch by Magnus Ellerts in the seventh inning. Parker Messick started for the Ducks and was dominant again, cruising through six scoreless innings and allowing just one hit. He struck out six and lowered his ERA to 1.83. Ellerts, Zane Morehouse and Bradley Hanner (8-3) closed out the final three innings, with Hanner earning the win after striking out the side in a perfect ninth inning.

Saturday, August 10: Ducks get swept in home doubleheader

The RubberDucks pitchers struggled all day with the Fightin' Phils lineup, losing both games of a doubleheader on Saturday at Canal Park by scores of 6-3 and 11-4.

Tommy Mace (7-5) took the loss in game one, lasting just 3⅓ innings and giving up all six runs on eight hits and three walks. He struck out four but his ERA ballooned to 3.94 on the year.

Dayan Frias ripped two doubles and drove in two and Petey Halpin smacked a solo home run in the game one loss.

In game two, Reading (46-60) jumped on Ducks starter Trenton Denholm, tagging him for seven runs on eight hits and five walks over five innings.

Halpin tripled, scored once and drove in one for the Ducks (62-45) in game two. Kahlil Watson, Milan Tolentino and Joe Lampe each added one RBI in the loss.

Friday, Aug. 9:

A 5-run eighth inning propelled the Akron RubberDucks to its four consecutive victory Friday night, as they downed the Reading Fightin' Phils 8-7 at Canal Park. Down 7-3 in the eighth, Wesley Moore replaced Phils reliever Andrew Walling and proceeds to walk the bases loaded.

Moore walked Petey Halpin to score Dayan Frias and make the score 7-4. Nelson Alvarez replaced Moore but allowed a run on Chase DeLauter's sacrifice fly that scored Yordys Valdes. With two outs, Akron tied the game on a Joe Lampe single that scored C.J. Kayfus and Halpin. Kody Huff followed with a single to right that scored Aaron Bracho for Akron's 8-7 lead.

In the top of the ninth, with a 1-run lead, the Ducks turned to Jack Leftwich who retired the side for his eighth save. Leftwich was in relief of Mason Hickman, who was the pitcher of record in the eighth when Akron went ahead. Hickman earned the win to go to 1-0 with two innings of scoreless work.

Reading got to Ducks starter Aaron Davenport for seven runs in 4-2/3 innings of work. The visitors scored four runs in the first on just two hits including a Carson Taylor 2-run home run deep to right field. Akron's lone dinger was a 2-run blast by Kahil Watson in the seventh inning that cut Reading's lead to 7-3. It was Watson's 14th homer this year.

Thursday, Aug. 8:

Torrential rain postponed Thursday nights Reading Fightin Phils and Akron RubberDucks game at Canal Park. The game will be made up on Saturday as part of doubleheader. The first game is slated to start at 5:05 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 7:

A triple and two home runs created a five-run sixth inning that helped the RubberDucks put away the Reading Fightin' Phils 8-6 at Canal Park on Wednesday.

With the game tied 1-1 in the sixth, Milan Tolentino ripped a line-drive triple to score Yordys Valdes and put the Ducks (61-43) ahead. Two batter later, Chase DeLauter crushed a three-run homer to right field, driving in Tolentino and Petey Halpin. Aaron Bracho immediately followed that with a solo shot to give the Ducks a 6-1 advantage.

Dayan Frias tripled in the second inning to score Bracho and tie the game at 1-1. Petey Halpin drove in Guy Lipscomb with a single in the seventh inning. DeLauter finished with four RBIs after plating Valdes with a sacrifice fly.

Reading (44-59) tried to rally in the ninth with three runs, but Bradley Hanner came on to record the final two outs and earn his third save. Austin Peterson got the start, going five innings and allowing one run on five hits. Magnus Ellerts (3-0) took the win in relief, tossing two innings and striking out three.

Tuesday, August 6: Ramirez delivers two-out, two-run walk-off in Ducks win

Micael Ramirez smashed a walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to propel the RubberDucks to a thrilling 3-2 victory at Canal Park on Tuesday in the series opener.

The Ducks (60-43) trailed 2-1 heading into their final at-bats with the only other run coming off a Chase DeLauter ground out in the third that scored Ramirez. Aaron Bracho set up the walk-off by coaxing a walk to start the ninth before being relieved for pinch runner Guy Lipscomb. After advancing to second on a Joe Lampe ground out, Lipscomb scored on Ramirez's clutch two-out homer.

Starting pitcher Parker Messick kept the Ducks in the game with another dominant outing, striking out nine in five innings. He walked one and gave up two unearned runs on two hits. Alaska Abney, Zane Morehouse and Ross Carver combined to throw four no-hit innings in relief, with Carver (2-4) stealing the win.

Sunday, Aug. 4:

Aaron Bracho broke a scoreless tie with a 2-run double, sparking a RubberDucks' 6-run eighth inning in Akron's 6-1 win Sunday over the Harrisburg Senators. The road victory in the series finale earned Akron a split in the 6-game set.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Harrisburg put runners at first and third with one out against Akron right-hander Magnus Ellerts. He got designated hitter Trey Harris to ground to Bracho, who threw to shortstop Dayan Frías to start the inning-ending double play that kept the game tied at 0-0.

Center fielder Petey Halpin led off the Akron eighth with a single against right-hander Holden Powell, who followed with walks to Kahlil Watson and Chase DeLauter. Against right-hander Daison Acosta, Bracho doubled down the right-field line, plating two. Right fielder Jeremy De La Rosa’s error allowed a third run to cross for a 3-0 Akron lead. The three runs snapped Harrisburg pitchers’ 19-inning scoreless streak. Acosta hit Kody Huff with a pitch, Joe Lampe singled, and a wild pitch scored Bracho. Yordys Valdés then hit a run-scoring single, followed by a C.J. Kayfus groundhout that scored Lampe for a 6-0 lead.

Four Ducks pitchers held Harrisburg to four hits. Tommy Mace started the game for Akron. He left the mound in the fourth inning after Harrisburg's Corland Lawson hit a line drive off of Mace's righthand forearm, forcing Mace to exit the game. Mason Hickman, Ellerts and Jack Leftwich closed out the game not allowing any runs. Ellerts earned the victory and is now 2-0 with his two innings of scoreless relief.

Akron had four hits and two walks but did not score in the first six innings against Senators starter Tyler Stuart, nor in the seventh off Powell. Akron left seven runners on base in the first seven innings before breaking the game open in the eighth inning.

Saturday, Aug. 3:

Dermis Garcia drilled a two-run home run in the second inning, and that was all the Senators needed for a 2-0 win over visiting RubberDucks on Saturday night.

That blast was the only blemish on an otherwise strong outing by Ducks starter Aaron Davenport (6-4), who struck out 10, walked two and allowed six hits in five innings.

Offensively, the Ducks (58-43) could not solve Senators pitchers, collecting only six hits, all of them singles. The top half of the lineup combined to go 2-for-15 with six strikeouts.

Friday, August 2: Ducks' win streak ends at 6 with 2 losses to Senators

The Harrisburg Senators took two games from the visiting RubberDucks on Friday, winning the completion of Thursday's suspended game 9-1 followed by a 7-3 win in the second game. The two Senators victories snapped the Ducks' six-game win streak.

In the completion of the suspended game, Harrisburg knocked out 15 hits off three Ducks pitchers, including Ryan Webb (4-7), who pitched five innings.

Harrisburg, anchored by Samuel Reyes (5-2), who pitched three hitless and scoreless innings, held the Ducks in check. Overall, five Senators pitchers limited the Ducks to three hits and one earned run scored in the first inning on Thursday afternoon.

It was more of the same in the nightcap, as the Ducks were held to three hits in the seven-inning game. Dayan Frias cut into Harrisburg's 7-0 lead in the third inning with his fifth home run of the season, and the Ducks added two runs in the fourth.

But the Ducks could not overcome the Senators' five-run first inning and two-run second. Harrisburg chased Akron's Ross Carver (1-4) after just two-thirds of an inning with a walk, four hits and five earned runs.

Thursday, Aug. 1: Ducks game in Harrisburg suspended by rain

The RubberDucks' game in Harrisburg, Pa., on Thursday was suspended in the bottom of the second inning with Akron leading 1-0. The game will resume at 5:30 p.m. Friday with a full nine innings of regulation, followed by a regularly scheduled game limited to seven inning. It was Ducks' first suspended game of the season.

Akron took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Yordys Valdés led off with a single, stole second and third, and scored on catcher Kody Huff’s infield hit.

Wednesday, July 31: Several miscues aid Ducks comeback in victory

Four runs in the final three innings helped the RubberDucks come from behind to secure a 6-3 victory at Harrisburg on Wednesday.

Trailing 3-2 heading into the seventh inning, a few Harrisburg miscues and a clutch hit helped the Ducks (58-40) storm ahead. Dayan Frias scored from third after a missed catch on a pickoff attempt. C.J. Kayfus followed with a double to score Yordys Valdes and advanced to third on a fielding error. Kayfus proceeded to score on a wild pitch to put the Ducks up 5-3.

Petey Halpin tacked on an insurance run in the ninth with a sacrifice fly to left field that drove in Valdes. Halpin also got the Ducks on the board in the first inning with a two-run home run, his second in as many games.

Austin Peterson (5-1) gave the Ducks a quality start, tossing seven innings and allowing three runs on six hits. He only struck out two but did not walk a batter. Magnus Ellerts pitched two perfect innings of relief, striking out two to record his second save of the season.

Tuesday, July 30: Halpin homers as Ducks win extra inning thriller

The RubberDucks scored two runs in the 12th inning to capture a series-opening road win over the Harrisburg Senators on Tuesday night.

After taking a 3-0 lead in the third inning, the Ducks (57-40) gave up the next three runs including two in the eighth inning that sent the game to extras. Milan Tolentino slapped a single to right field in the 12th to drive in Alexfri Planez before a passed ball scored Joe Lampe to go up 6-4.

C.J. Kayfus got the scoring started with a sacrifice fly that scored Lampe. Petey Halpin punctuated the inning with a two-run home run, plating Kody Huff.

Alaska Abney (2-0) took over the final two innings of relief to earn the win, striking out four batters without allowing a hit. Tommy Mace started and went 4⅔ innings, striking out seven and giving up one run on three hits.

Sunday, July 28: Frias delivers walk-off win in series finale

Milan Tolentino and Dayan Frias delivered back-to-back clutch hits to help the RubberDucks win 3-2 in walk-off fashion Sunday afternoon at Canal Park.

Trailing 2-1 heading into the bottom of the ninth, Tolentino ripped his third hit of the night, a double to right field, to drive in Aaron Bracho and tie the game. The next batter, Frias, came through with a walk-off single to center field to plate Joe Lampe for the win. The Ducks (56-40) got on the board in the fourth inning off a Bracho single that scored Petey Halpin to take an early 1-0 lead.

Starting pitcher Aaron Davenport was dominant once again, allowing no runs on two hits and recording nine of his 14 outs via strikeout. Five relievers bridged the gap to the ninth inning, with Magnus Ellerts (1-0) taking the win after finishing off the eighth and ninth innings without giving up a run and striking out two.

Saturday, July 27: Two big innings propel Ducks over Baysox

Two explosive innings helped the RubberDucks cruise to a 9-1 victory over the Bowie Baysox on Saturday night at Canal Park.

Three singles from Aaron Bracho, Milan Tolentino and Kody Huff each brought in a run in the fourth inning to put the Ducks ahead 3-0. In the seventh, the Ducks (55-40) blew the game open, scoring six runs off a string of hits. C.J. Kayfus, Joe Lampe and Huff slapped one-run singles around a two-run double from Chase DeLauter and a one-run double from Tolentino. DeLauter finished 3-for-4 with two doubles, one run and two RBIs.

Ducks starter Ryan Webb (4-6) was brilliant, tossing 6⅔ innings of shutout ball while surrendering just three hits and striking out eight. Lenny Torres Jr. and Alaska Abney finished off the final 2⅓ innings. The lone run came off a wild pitch from Torres Jr. in the eighth.

Friday, July 26:

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Matthew Boyd mad a rehab start Friday night in Akron, working five scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out three as the RubberDucks beat the Bowie Baysox 7-0. Boyd threw 94 pitches - 43 for strikes - and earned the victory as Akron scored four runs in the second inning and three in the sixth. Boyd is 1-0 and Parker Messick got his first save of the season with four scoreless innings of relief of Boyd. Bowie's only two hits were off Boyd.

Akron's offense roughed up five Bowie pitchers for nine hits and two walks. C.J. Kayfus led the way with a double and four RBI from his leadoff spot. Kody Huff, Joe Lampe and Connor Kokx each notched a pair of hits. Gabriel Rodriguez singled and drove in a pair of Ducks baserunners.

Akron remained atop the Eastern League's Southwest Division second-half standings with a 17-8 record with its second consecutive win before 7,477 fans at Canal Park. Akron is now 54-40 overall; Bowie fell to 43-50 overall.

Thursday, July 25:

The Akron RubberDucks snapped a 2-game skid on Thursday night at Canal Park, with a 6-3 win over the Bowie Baysox. Austin Peterson improved to 4-1 by going seven innings and allowing just four hits, a pair of earned runs and recording five strikeouts.

After giving up a 2-run home run in the first inning to TT Bowens, Peterson settled down and the Akron offense helped out. The Ducks cut the lead in half with a run in the third inning, then scored three in the fourth and two in the fifth to remain atop the Eastern League's Southwest Division.

Akron sprayed nine hits off Bowie pitching led by Aaron Bracho and Yordys Valdes who each doubled and scored a run.

Wednesday, July 24:

The Baysox scored all their runs off three home runs in a 4-2 win over the RubberDucks at Canal Park on Wednesday night.

Tommy Mace (7-4) gave up three runs on five hits and two walks. He struck out four in 4⅔ innings. Lenny Torres Jr. came on in relief and gave up a solo home run in the sixth inning.

Alexfri Planez launched a solo home run in the first to give the Ducks (52-40) a 1-0 lead. The right fielder has now homered in back-to-back games. The other run came in the bottom of the ninth via a Milan Tolentino single that drove in C.J. Kayfus.

Tuesday, July 23: Ducks rip four home runs in loss

The RubberDucks bullpen gave up four runs in the eighth inning as the Bowie Baysox came back to win 6-5 at Canal Park in the series opener Tuesday afternoon.

The Ducks (52-39) only had five hits and four of them were home runs. Milan Tolentino, Petey Halpin and Alexfri Planez all smacked solo shots and Yordys Valdes drilled a two-run homer in the eighth to cut the final deficit to one.

Starting pitcher Aaron Davenport only lasted 4⅔ innings but limited the damage to just two runs on four hits. He walked two and struck out six. However, Davis Sharpe (3-2) gave up three runs in 1⅓ innings to blow the save and suffer the loss. Bradley Hanner followed Sharpe by giving up one run on four hits and recording only two outs.

Sunday, July 21:

Milan Tolentino's bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 10th inning on Sunday, gave the RubberDucks a 2-1 walk-off win at Canal Park over the Richmond Flying Squirrels. After stranding Richmond’s placed runner in the top of the 10th, Akron took advantage in the bottom half of the inning when Yordys Valdes singled to put runners on the corners with no outs. After Connor Kokx was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Tolentino sent the fans home happy by lining a single into left to give Akron the 1-run victory.

Matthew Boyd allowed on run in four inning in his rehab start for Akron. He gave up just two hits in the first three innings while striking out four.  Richmond got to the left-hander for a run in the fourth, but he quickly settled back in to get a groundout and strikeout to end the inning. In total, Boyd worked four innings allowing the one run while striking out five. 

Ryan Webb followed Boyd with 4-1/3 scoreless innings, recording four strikeouts. Lenny Torres Jr. retired 2-of-the-3 batters he faced in the ninth. Jack Leftwich tossed a perfect tenth to earn the win for Akron. Leftwich is now 3-5.

Akron took a 1-0 lead in the second when Kody Huff was hit by a pitch, moved to second on Dayan Frias' walk before Valdes doubled down the line in left to score Huff. Valdes has 13 hits and four runs batted in in 12 games against Richmond (42-48) this season. Akron improved to 52-38 overall and 15-6 in the second half of the Eastern League season.

The RubberDucks scored all their runs in the first two innings in a 5-0 shutout victory over the visiting Flying Squirrels on Saturday night.

Milan Tolentino got the Ducks (51-38) started with a sacrifice fly that scored Aaron Bracho to go ahead 1-0. Dayan Frias followed with a two-run single, scoring Alexfri Planez and Joe Lampe. Lampe then accounted for the final two runs of the game with a double to right field, plating Planez and Petey Halpin.

Parker Messick (3-1) was dominant on the mound once again for the Ducks, allowing just three hits over five shutout innings and striking out seven. Bradley Hanner and Mason Hickman each tossed two scoreless innings of relief to close it out.

Friday, July 19: Flying Squirrels rout Ducks in first game of second half

Starter Austin Peterson struck out seven in 4⅔ innings, but the Ducks could not contain the visiting Flying Squirrels in a 9-1 loss Friday at Canal Park in the first game after the Eastern League All-Star break.

After the Ducks took the lead in the fourth, Richmond answered in the fifth against Peterson (3-1) when Jimmy Glowenke and Alerick Soularie each hit an RBI double to put Richmond ahead 2-1. The Squirrels added two runs in the seventh and then exploded for five runs in the ninth inning.

The RubberDucks (50-38) broke the scoreless tie in the fourth when Cody Huff doubled to right field and Aaron Bracho followed with a double to left field. Bracho extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

Sunday, July 14: Aaron Bracho homers, drives in 3 in Ducks loss

The RubberDucks staged a late rally, but the Fightin Phils walked off with a 7-6 win Sunday in the last game before the Double A All-Star break.

The Ducks (50-37) trailed 4-0 heading into the seventh inning but scored five runs to take the lead. Alexfri Planez singled to drive in C.J. Kayfus before Aaron Bracho hit a two-run double and Kody Huff blasted a two-run homer from.

The Fightin Phils answered in the home half with a solo home run to tie the score 5-5. After Bracho launched a solo shot in the ninth to put the Ducks ahead, Bradley Hanner (7-3) came on and gave up two runs on four hits without recording an out to blow the save and take the loss.

Saturday, July 13: Solo home run snaps Ducks winning streak

A solo home run was all the Fightin Phils needed in a 1-0 win over the visiting RubberDucks on Saturday in a classic pitchers' duel.

Carson Taylor launched his 11th blast of the year in the fourth inning for the game's lone run to end the Ducks' five-game winning streak. It was the only hit allowed by Ducks starter Aaron Davenport (6-3), who walked three and struck out four.

The Ducks (50-36) mustered just four hits, and Kody Huff doubled for the lone extra-base hit and added a stolen base.

Friday, July 12: Ducks pound out 13 hits in win over Fightin Phils

The RubberDucks pounded out 13 hits en route to their fifth consecutive win, 8-3 over the Fightin Phils on Friday night in Reading, Pa.

The Ducks, who had just two extra-base hits, built a 4-0 lead by the end of the second inning.

Ryan Webb (6-3) was the beneficiary, pitching six scoreless innings while allowing three hits and two walks and recording eight strikeouts.

Akexfri Planez led the Ducks with two singles, a double and two RBIs. Planez scored twice, as did CJ Kayfus and Connor Kokx. Kayfus walked twice, Kokx hit two singles and Aaron Bracho went 2-for-4 with two RBIs for the Ducks (49-35), who remained in first place in the Eastern League's Southwest Division.

Thursday, July 11: Ducks tame Fightin Phils for 4th consecutive win

The Akron RubberDucks won their fourth consecutive game, 7-2 over the Fightin Phils on Thursday in Reading, Pa.

Parker Messick (2-1) allowed two runs on six hits and two walks with seven strikeouts. CJ Kayfus hit a bases-loaded triple in the eighth inning to provide insurance, and Bradley Hanner and Lenny Torres Jr. closed out the Ducks victory with scoreless relief.

Milan Tolentino hit two doubles and drove in a run, Aaron Bracho had a single and a double, and Dayan Frias went 2-for-4 with two RBIs for the Ducks.

The Ducks (49-35) remained atop the Eastern League's Southwest Division, a game ahead of Erie.

Wednesday, July 10: Ducks blast three home runs in win over Fightin Phils

The long ball was key for the RubberDucks once again as three home runs provided five runs in a 6-3 road win over the Fightin Phils on Wednesday.

Milan Tolentino launched two solo home runs and Petey Halpin hammered a three-run shot to lead the Ducks (48-35). C.J. Kayfus singled to drive in Yordys Valdes with the the other run in the seventh inning.

Austin Peterson (3-0) pitched 5⅔ innings of one-hit ball, allowing two runs and three walks while striking out five. Davis Sharpe, Mason Hickman and Jack Leftwich combined to take care of the final 3⅓ innings, with Leftwich delivering a clean ninth to earn his seventh save of the year.

Tuesday, July 9: Ducks record 26 hits in drubbing of Fightin Phils

A couple days off was just what the RubberDucks needed as they pounded out 26 hits in a 19-3 series-opening rout of the Reading Fightin Phils on Tuesday night.

An eight-run third inning pushed the Ducks lead to 11-0 as the game got out of hand early. Reading starter Matt Osterberg lasted just 2⅔ innings, giving up eight runs on eight hits and three walks. Leadoff hitter C.J. Kayfus drilled two home runs and drove in five to lead the offensive explosion. Petey Halpin went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and a home run of his own. Alexfri Planez, Joe Lampe and Kody Huff each knocked four hits, with Planez homering and Lampe tacking on a triple.

The Ducks (47-35) also stole six bases, with Kahlil Watson swiping two. Kayfus, Watson and Lampe all came around to score three times. The only innings the Ducks didn't score was the second and fourth.

Tommy Mace (7-3) took the win on the mound, going six innings and allowing just one run on two hits. He walked one and struck out four.

Saturday, July 6: Power surge lifts Ducks over SeaWolves

A power surge lifted the RubberDucks over the Erie SeaWolves on Saturday night as five of their 14 hits were home runs in an 8-2 road victory.

Petey Halpin, Joe Lampe, Yordys Valdes, Kahlil Watson and Milan Tolentino each drilled home runs for the Ducks (46-35). Halpin, Watson and Aaron Bracho also tacked on doubles as eight Ducks hits went for extra bases.

The SeaWolves (45-34) trailed 3-0 after three innings before answering with a run of their own. However, the Ducks put up a five-run fourth inning to seize momentum and put the game away. The only run produced without a home run came off a sacrifice fly from Kody Huff in the third inning.

Aaron Davenport (6-2) secured the win, tossing five innings and allowing two runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out eight. Hunter Stanley, Ross Carver and Bradley Hanner combined for four innings of clean relief to close it out.

Friday, July 5: Ducks offense stymied again in loss

The RubberDucks offense was stifled again as they managed just four hits in a 6-1 road loss to the Erie SeaWolves on Friday night.

Aaron Bracho accounted for half of the Ducks (45-35) hits and Kahlil Watson scored the lone run on a sacrifice fly from Milan Tolentino.

Starting pitcher Ryan Webb only allowed one run but was chased after 4⅔ innings. He gave up three hits and struck out six. Lenny Torres Jr. (1-2) came on in relief and gave up four runs on four hits and two walks while recording just one out.

Thursday, July 4: Ducks manage just 3 hits in loss

The Erie SeaWolves snapped the RubberDucks' six-game winning streak on Thursday night at UPMC Park with a 6-1 victory. The SeaWolves took a 3-0 lead in the second inning and added two runs in the third for 5-0 lead.

Carlos Pena (4-3) held the Ducks to one run on three hits and a walk with four strikeouts in six innings. Kody Huff had a fifth-inning triple for the Ducks and scored their only run on a groundout by Yordys Valdes, whose 10-game hit streak ended.

Ducks starter Parker Messick struck out the side in the first, but the left-hander surrendered three hits in the second inning and two in the third. He allowed five runs and struck out six in 2⅓ innings. Trey Benton pitched 2⅓ scoreless innings, Alaska Abney allowed a run in 1⅓ innings and Tyler Thornton worked a scoreless 1⅓ innings.

Wednesday, July 3: Ducks roll to 9-1 win over SeaWolves

The RubberDucks scored early and often in a 9-1 rout of the visiting SeaWolves at Canal Park on Wednesday.

Kahlil Watson launched a solo home run in the first inning to set the tone early for the Ducks (45-33). Milan Tolentino followed suit with a solo blast in the second inning before run-scoring singles by Connor Kokx and C.J. Kayfus gave the Ducks a 4-0 lead. Joe Lampe tacked on another solo homer in the third and Kayfus singled home Kokx in the fourth for a 6-0 start.

Alexfri Planez smoked a two-run home run to left field to score Aaron Bracho for an 8-0 lead before Tolentino capped the Ducks scoring by taking home on a wild pitch.

Austin Peterson (2-0) tossed a gem, cruising through seven innings of one-hit ball and striking out five without allowing a run. Jordan Jones finished off the final two innings as the Ducks won their sixth consecutive game.

Tuesday, July 2: Ducks rally from early hole, walk off SeaWolves

After the RubberDucks fell behind 5-1 in the second inning, they settled in and rallied for a thrilling 7-6 walk-off victory over the Erie SeaWolves at Canal Park on Tuesday night.

Petey Halpin capped an incredible performance with a walk-off line drive to center field as Yordys Valdes came around to score. Halpin finished 3-for-4 with one run, three RBIs and a sacrifice fly. C.J. Kayfus went 3-for-5 atop the lineup, drilling a triple, scoring three runs and driving in two. Alexfri Planez added a two-run double as the Ducks (44-33) pounded out 10 hits in their fifth consecutive win.

Erie (43-32) scored five runs in the second off starter Tommy Mace, who found his groove to last five innings before handing it over to Lenny Torres Jr. for two scoreless innings. Bradley Hanner (7-2) got the win, going two innings and allowing just one hit with three strikeouts.

Monday, July 1: Ducks beat SeaWolves in 12 innings

Petey Halpin's one-out sacrifice fly to left field scored Dayan Frias in the bottom of the 12th inning to lift the RubberDucks over the Erie SeaWolves 4-3 on Monday at Canal Park. The Ducks managed just seven hits off five Erie pitchers before Halpin's game-winning RBI.

Halpin didn't have a hit in four at-bats, but drove in the winning run to help first-place Akron improve to 6-1 in the second half of the Double-A Eastern League's Southwest standings.

The acore was tied 2-2 to send it into extra innings. Both squads scored a run in the 11th inning before the Ducks broke the tie in the bottom of the 12th, giving Alaska Abney (1-0) the win in his second inning of relief.

Ducks starter Aaron Davenport allowed two earned runs on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts in five innings. He was followed on the mound by Davis Sharpe, Ross Carter and Abney.

Kody Huff led the Ducks with two singles, and Frias and Alexfri Planez each had a double.

Sunday, June 30: Webb strikes out 11 as Ducks win third straight

The RubberDucks got another commanding outing from their starting pitcher and the offense jumped on the Curve early to secure a 7-4 road win in the series finale on Sunday.

Ryan Webb (2-6) completely frustrated Altoona, cruising through six innings while striking out 11. He gave up four hits and walked one. Tyler Thornton, Jordan Jones and Jack Leftwich combined to hold off a late rally and preserve the win, with Leftwich earning his sixth save by striking out Jase Bowen with runners on the corners in the ninth.

A two-run triple by Yordys Valdes drove in Kody Huff and Dayan Frias to put the Ducks (42-33) ahead in the second inning. A sacrifice fly by Joe Lampe an inning later plated Aaron Bracho to increase the lead to 3-0 before the Ducks poured it on in the sixth. Petey Halpin doubled home Frias before Kahlil Watson put the game out of reach with a three-run home run to make it 7-0.

The win was the third in a row for the Ducks, who are in a tie for first place with the Erie SeaWolves.

Saturday, June 29: Messick dominant again as Ducks blank Curve

Recently promoted pitcher Parker Messick delivered another shutout start and a trio of relievers kept the Altoona Curve off the board in a dominant 3-0 road win on Saturday night.

Messick tossed 4⅔ no-hit innings and struck out 10, running his scoreless inning streak to begin his stint with the RubberDucks to 9⅔ innings. Bradley Hanner (6-2) snagged the win in relief with 1⅓ innings before Trey Benton and Lenny Torres Jr. finished the game off. Torres Jr. earned his seventh save of the season.

At the plate, C.J. Kayfus stayed hot, ripping a double to center field to score Yordys Valdes in the third to put the Ducks (41-33) on the board. Kahlil Watson followed with a single to drive Kayfus in. Milan Tolentino gave the Ducks an insurance run in the sixth with a double, scoring Watson for the final run of the game.

Friday, June 28: Ducks topple Curve

Back-to-back RBI singles in the third inning by Aaron Bracho and Joe Lampe started the Akron RubberDucks scoring as they beat the Altoona Curve 4-2 Friday night in Pennsylvania. Austin Peterson struck out 10 Curve batters in his Double-A debut for Akron to pick up the victory on the mound.

Peterson went six innings, giving up three hits, two earned runs and no walks. The righty retired the first 13 batters he faced. It was the 11th time this in 15 starts between two levels, that Peterson has not walked anyone. The only runs against Peterson came in the fifth when Altoona got a double and home run on back-to-back batters. Davis Sharpe struck out three over two scoreless innings. Jack Leftwich tossed a scoreless ninth with two strikeouts. It was the fifth save for Leftwich.

Connor Kokx and CJ Kayfus each scored on the Bracho and Lampe singles in the third. Akron added another run in the fourth when Milan Tolentino scored on a throwing error. After Altoona got two in the fifth, Akron got a run back in the sixth when Kayfus worked a bases loaded walk to make it 4-2 Ducks.

Thursday, June 27: Curve holds on to sink Ducks

Altoona Curve pitchers struck out 15 batters and held off a late rally to beat visiting RubberDucks 6-4 on Thursday night, snapping the Ducks' two-game win streak.

Akron scored twice in the ninth and had two runners on, but Curve closer Jack Carey got a flyout and a strikeout to strand runners on first and second to record his fifth save.

Ducks starter Tommy Mace (6-3) faced just one over the minimum through the first three innings, but surrendered four runs in the fourth and one in the fifth before leaving with the bases loaded with two outs. In total, Mace allowed five runs and fanned four in 4⅔. Alaska Abney entered with the bases loaded in the fifth and got a strikeout to escape the inning without further damage.

The Ducks were held in check for most of the game by Curve starter Bubba Chandler (4-5), who was chased by Alexfri Planez and Milan Tolentino' got's back-to-back two-out singles in the seventh. After the pitching change and a walk to Micael Ramirez, Dayan Frias singled home Planez and Tolentino to make it 5-2.

In the ninth, Frias once again came up big with the bases loaded, singling home Planez and Tolentino with a liner to left to make it 6-4.

Wednesday, June 26: Ducks score five runs in ninth to beat Curve

With the score tied 6-6 in the ninth inning, the visiting RubberDucks scored five runs to emerge with an 11-6 win over the Altoona Curve on Wednesday.

C.J. Kayfus sparked the rally with his second home run of the game, a two-run shot to right that scored Yordys Valdes. Kahlil Watson followed with a run-scoring double to plate Petey Halpin before he came around to score on a single from Alexfri Planez. Kody Huff capped the big inning with a ground out that drove in Joe Lampe.

Planez finished 3-for-5 with a double, a triple and three RBIs. Kayfus drove in three and Watson scored three times.

Trey Benton (4-1) took the win in relief after firing two shutout innings and striking out three.

Tuesday, June 27: Six pitchers help Ducks preserve series-opening win

The RubberDucks used two home runs and four extra base hits to capture the series opener with a 4-3 win over the Curve at Altoona on Tuesday.

Joe Lampe nailed a two-run home run to score Petey Halpin in the top of the fourth inning to tie the game at 2-2. After the Curve (29-41) answered with a run to pull ahead, Micael Ramirez hit a solo shot to tie it back up at 3-3. In the top of the sixth, Ramirez delivered the game-deciding run with a single that drove in Lampe.

Six pitchers helped the Ducks (38-32) preserve the victory with reliever Davis Sharpe (3-1) getting the win. Tyler Thornton, Jordan Jones, Lenny Torres Jr. and Jack Leftwich each gave an inning of shutout relief to hold off the Curve. Leftwich earned his fourth save of the season.

Sunday, June 22: Ducks edge Rumble Ponies 1-0

In a rain-shortened, five-inning game Sunday, Parker Messick struck out four in his Double-A debut and Gabriel Rodriguez doubled home the game's only run as the RubberDucks beat Binghamton 1-0 at Canal Park.

Dayan Frias hit a two-out single in the fourth and scored on Rodriguez's double off the top of the left field wall. It was Rodriguez's first hit and RBI of the season.

Messick, a left-hander, earned the win by going all five innings, allowing four hits and one walk before weather halted the game.

The RubberDucks begin a six-game series in Altoona, Pa. on Tuesday.

Saturday, June 22: Ducks rally falls short in loss to Rumble Ponies

A ninth-inning comeback fell just short as the RubberDucks lost 6-5 to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies on Saturday night at Canal Park.

After the Rumble Ponies scored four runs in the seventh inning to pull ahead 6-4, the Ducks (36-32) began to rally in the ninth. With the bases loaded, Alexfri Planez grounded out to the pitcher, scoring Yordys Valdes and moving Connor Kokx to third and Kahlil Watson to second. However, Micael Ramirez followed with a pop out to first to end the game.

The Ducks scored the first three runs of the game behind a two-run home run from Dayan Frias and a solo shot from Petey Halpin. Ramirez drove in Watson on a single in the fifth for the other run.

Bradley Hanner (5-2) took the loss and blew his second save after giving up four runs in just ⅔ of an inning. Tommy Mace started, going 5⅔ innings while giving up two runs on six hits. He walked two and struck out seven.

Friday, June 21: Ducks blast 4 home runs in rout of Rumble Ponies

A Canal Park crowd of 7,756 watched the RubberDucks beat Binghamton 11-4 behind leadoff hitter C.J. Kayfus' two home runs Friday night.

Kayfus hit a three-run homer in the Ducks' five-run third inning then went yard in the fourth with another three-run shot that made it 8-1. Kayfus has four home runs this season, and with two hits and six RBIs improved his Eastern League batting average to .392.

The offensive output, which included home runs by Kahlil Watson and Milan Tolentino, helped get Gavin Williams a Cleveland Guardians rehab start victory for the Ducks. Williams (1-0) went five innings, allowing four hits and one earned run, while striking out four and not allowing a walk.

Ross Carver and Alaska Abney each pitched two innings of relief to close out the win for the Ducks (36-31), who are third in the Southwest Division of the EL.

Tolentino added a single to his three-run homer in the seventh, which gave him four dingers this year. Watson's two-run home run came in the five-run third inning and scored Petey Halpin, who reached on a single after Kayfus' first blast of the night.

The Ducks finished with nine hits, five of them for extra bases.

Thursday, June 20: Rumble Ponies trot to victory

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies scored four runs in the first inning and never trailed in a 9-5 victory over the RubberDucks at Canal Park on Thursday night.

Doug Nikhazy (0-1) gave up two run-scoring doubles and a two-run single in the first to put the Ducks in an immediate 4-0 hole. He finished up five innings with five runs allowed on five hits and five strikeouts. Both Jack Leftwich and Lenny Torres Jr. gave up two runs each in relief.

Kahlil Watson and C.J. Kayfus led the Ducks (35-31) with multiple hits. Watson went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, two runs and two RBIs. Kayfus went 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored. Alexfri Planez singled in a run and Petey Halpin slapped a single and scored.

Wednesday, June 19: Late grand slam dooms Ducks in loss

After holding a 1-0 lead after six innings, the RubberDucks gave up four runs in the seventh as the Rumble Ponies came back for a 4-1 win at Canal Park on Wednesday.

The lone run for the Ducks (35-30) came in the first inning when Joe Lampe got caught stealing but scored Alexfri Planez from third.

Ryan Webb (1-6) got stuck with the loss, going six-plus innings and allowing two runs on six hits. He struck out eight before giving way to reliever Jordan Jones who blew his third save. Jones allowed two runs by giving up a grand slam to third baseman Rowdey Jordan.

Tuesday, June 18: Offense breaks out but Ducks come up short

The RubberDucks offense finally came back to life on Tuesday night but the pitching staff allowed a few big innings in an 8-7 series-opening loss to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies at Canal Park.

Sparking the offensive onslaught was C.J. Kayfus, who went 2-for-3 with two walks, a solo home run and two RBIs. Yordys Valdes went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs while Joe Lampe went 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored.

Starting pitcher Aaron Davenport (5-2) had a rare rough outing for the Ducks (35-29), giving up five runs on 10 hits in 5⅔ innings. He walked two and struck out three as his ERA rose to 2.26. Bradley Hanner gave up three more runs on two homers in relief.

Sunday, June 16: Ducks offense stalls again in loss

The battles of attrition continued at Dunkin' Park in Hartford, Conn. as the Yard Goats outlasted the RubberDucks 1-0 on Sunday afternoon.

In yet another game where both offenses stalled, a double in the second inning by Bladimir Restituyo was the difference in the contest. The Yard Goats left fielder drove in Yanquiel Fernandez for the lone run.

Jaime Arias (2-2) was stuck with the tough-luck loss, allowing just one run on three hits. He did not issue a walk and struck out four.

Dayan Frias was the only RubberDucks (35-28) batter to record multiple hits. Hartford (34-28) used six pitchers to stymie the Ducks.

Saturday, June 15: Ducks dealt another late-game loss

Another game, another late loss as Ducks reliever Jack Leftwich gave up a game-deciding single in the bottom of the eighth inning in a 2-1 loss at Hartford on Saturday.

The RubberDucks (35-27) managed just one run on two hits for the night. Joe Lampe singled in the fourth inning to score Kahlil Watson and Kody Huff singled in the fifth.

Tommy Mace was stuck with a no-decision after tossing six solid innings. He allowed one run on five hits and one walk while striking out seven. Alaska Abney got two outs in the seventh before turning it over to Leftwich (2-5) with the score tied 1-1.

Friday, June 14: Nikhazy dazzles as Ducks win another pitchers' duel

Another pitchers' duel broke out between the RubberDucks and Yard Goats at Dunkin' Park with the Ducks sneaking away with a dramatic 2-1 win.

With the game tied at 1-1 in the top of the eighth inning, C.J. Kayfus hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Petey Halpin for the game-deciding run. The other Ducks run came in the fourth off a Joe Lampe ground out that drove in Halpin. Halpin smacked two doubles and scored two runs.

For the second straight game, the Ducks (35-26) pitching staff held Hartford (32-28) to just three hits. Starter Doug Nikhazy threw 6⅓ innings and gave up one run on one hit. He walked three and struck out five. Bradley Hanner (5-1) got the win in relief after finishing off the seventh inning. Lenny Torres Jr. was dominant again over the final two innings, striking out four to earn his sixth save of the season.

Thursday, June 13: Bullpen sinks Ducks again in heartbreaking loss

Ryan Webb delivered seven shutout innings for the visiting RubberDucks before two relievers gave up the lead in the eighth in a 3-2 loss to the Yard Goats on Thursday night.

Webb breezed through the Hartford lineup, allowing just two hits and one walk against seven strikeouts. However, Tyler Thornton managed just one out after coming on in the eighth inning before giving way to Jack Leftwich (2-4), who gave up a game-deciding three-run home run and blew his third save.

Solo home runs by Kahlil Watson and Kody Huff accounted for the Ducks two runs. The RubberDucks (34-26) outhit the Yard Goats 9-3 but could not string them together at the right time.

Wednesday, June 12: Davenport tosses 8 shutout innings in Ducks win

Petey Halpin's solo home run in the first inning was all the RubberDucks needed in a 1-0 victory at Hartford on Wednesday night.

The fourth pitch to the first batter of the game produced the lone run as Halpin cleared the right field fence. The only other extra-base hit in the game came from Joe Lampe, who drilled his second triple of the season.

Aaron Davenport (5-1) tossed a gem for the Ducks (34-25), allowing just four hits and no walks in eight scoreless innings. He struck out four and lowered his ERA to an impressive 1.77. Bradley Hanner earned his second save with a lockdown ninth inning to preserve the win.

Tuesday, June 11: Bullpen falters as Ducks lose on the road

After leading 3-0 going into the bottom of the seventh inning, the visiting RubberDucks bullpen gave up the final four runs of the game in a 4-3 loss to the Hartford Yard Goats on Tuesday night.

Starting pitcher Jaime Arias tossed five scoreless inning for the Ducks (33-25). He gave up two hits and two walks, striking out four. Davis Sharpe came on in relief and allowed two runs on five hits. The lead was lost after Jordan Jones (1-4) blew his second save of the season, giving up a walk-off two-run home run to pinch-hitter Zach Kokoska.

Offensively, the Ducks outhit the Yard Goats 13-8. Five hitters in the middle of the order recorded multiple hits, led by a 3-for-5 effort from Alexfri Planez. Milan Tolentino and Dayan Frias both went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. C.J. Kayfus coaxed a walk, slapped two singles and drove in a run.

Sunday, June 9: Ducks rally but fall short, split series

The visiting Akron RubberDucks overcame a 7-1 deficit on Sunday afternoon, but the Portland Sea Dogs scored runs in the sixth and seventh innings for a 9-7 win to split the 6-game series. In a 7-7 tie in the bottom of the sixth inning, RubberDucks right-hander Ross Carver walked right fielder Phillip Sikes to begin the inning. Portland first baseman Alex Binelas doubled to center field, scoring Sikes for an 8-7 Sea Dogs lead.

RubberDucks starter Tommy Mace retired the first four batters of the game before Sikes doubled in the second inning with one out, and Mace walked Binelas. He then yielded three straight 2-out hits, that led to four Portland runs. Mace was lifted after 1-2/3 innings, and right-hander Jack Leftwich entered, allowing two more run-scoring hits to make it 7-1 in the second inning. Leftwich went 1-2/3 innings, and Carver went 2-2/3 innings, each allowing one run.

Right-hander Lenny Torres Jr. allowed a leadoff homer and two singles to begin the seventh before retiring three straight hitters. Right-hander Trey Benton pitched a perfect eighth inning. Carver was tagged with the loss and fell to 1-3.

Both teams cranked out 11 hits, with Milan Tolentino, Nate Furman and Micael Ramirez each recording a pair of hits for the first-place Ducks. Akron moves south to open a 6-game series in Hartford on Tuesday.

Saturday, June 8: Runs come early and often in Ducks victory

The RubberDucks scored a single run in seven of nine innings in a 7-5 road win over the Portland Sea Dogs on Saturday night.

Joe Lampe went 2-for-5 with a triple, two runs scored and two stolen bases to lead the first-place Ducks (33-23). Kahlil Watson drilled a solo home run in the ninth to punctuate the victory. Milan Tolentino singled and walked once, coming around to score both times. Catcher Kody Huff went 1-for-2 but had two sacrifice hits that drove in two runs.

Bradley Hanner (4-1) got the win in relief of starter Doug Nikhazy. Hanner cruised through 2⅔ scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out two. Davis Sharpe earned his first save of the year, recording the final four outs without giving up a run.

Friday, June 7

Alexfri Planez hit his fifth home run in his last nine games, but the Portland Sea Dogs kept the Akron RubberDucks scoreless the rest of the night for a 4-2 win Friday night at Hadlock Field in Maine.

After a 53-minute rain delay following the top of the second inning, Akron left-hander Ryan Webb walked third baseman Eddinson Paulino, who moved to second base on a balk and stole third base when Webb walked right fielder Phillip Sikes. First baseman Tyler Miller hit a sacrifice fly to center field to break the scoreless tie, and Portland kept the lead for the rest of the game.

Webb induced a double play to end the second inning and another after allowing a run in the third. He finished four innings, allowing a pair of earned runs on three hits and three walks. He struck out three but fell to 1-5 on the season. Right-hander Alaska Abney allowed three hits and two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning but worked two more scoreless innings to give Akron three in relief. Right-hander Tyler Thornton pitched a perfect eighth inning with one strikeout.

Ducks first baseman C.J. Kayfus singled in the first inning to extend a 4-game hitting streak to begin his Double-A career. Portland right-hander CJ Liu did not allow a hit after the rain delay until the sixth inning. Nate Furman drew a leadoff walk when two batters later Planez drilled his 402-foot home run over the 37-foot-high “Maine Monster” in left field, cutting the deficit to 4-2. Liu struck out the next two batters to finish his 6-inning start. Liu and two Portland relievers combined to retire the next 11 batters to end the game.

Akron remained a half game ahead of Harrisburg (31-23) in the Southwest Division first-half race, while Portland drew within a half game of Hartford in the Northeast Division. Planez has 11 hits in his season-long 6-game hitting streak.

Thursday, June 6

After losing an early 4-0 lead, the Akron RubberDucks rallied from a 6-5 deficit by scoring four times in the ninth inning to post a 9-7 win over the host Portland Sea Dogs on Thursday. Joe Lampe capped his season-high four RBI game with a 2-out, 2-run double in the the ninth as Akron scored nine runs in two consecutive games to take game No. 3 of the 6-game series in Maine.

After the Sea Dogs’ 4-run rally in the eighth inning turned a 5-2 Akron lead into a 6-5 Portland edge, Akron center fielder Kahlil Watson worked a 9-pitch, 1-out walk in the ninth against Sea Dogs right-hander Jacob Webb. First baseman C.J. Kayfus then singled to right field, and right fielder Alexfri Planez and designated hitter Aaron Bracho hit consecutive pop-up RBI singles to shallow center field for a 7-6 lead. Catcher Micael Ramírez worked a 7-pitch walk with two outs before Lampe drilled a 1-2 pitch for a 2-run double off the “Maine Monster” left-field wall to make it 9-6 Akron.

Ducks right-hander Trey Benton allowed an inherited runner to score, and with four hits and a walk, Portland scored three more runs for a 6-5 lead in the eighth inning. Righty Lenny Torres allowed two hits to start the ninth inning before retiring the next three Sea Dogs to save the win for Benton. It was Torres' fifth save. Benton, who followed starter Aaron Davenport and reliever Jack Leftwich in the eighth inning, earned the victory to improve to 3-1.

Offensively, Akron was paced by Lampe, C.J. Kayfus and Milan Tolentino who each recorded three hits. Two of Tolentino's hits were doubles as he drove in one run. Lampe finished with four runs batted in.

The Ducks (32-22, .593) are within percentage points of Eastern League, Southwest Division-leading Harrisburg (31-21, .596). Portland fell a game behind Hartford on Thursday in the Northeast Division.

Wednesday, June 5: C.J. Kayfus drills grand slam in Ducks win

Three big innings led the RubberDucks to a 9-1 rout of the Portland Sea Dogs at Hadlock Field on Wednesday night.

A run-scoring ground ball by Petey Halpin and a two-run home run by Alexfri Planez in the third inning put the Ducks (31-22) ahead 3-0 early. Halpin delivered again in the fourth with a two-run line drive single to right to make it 5-0.

After the Sea Dogs (29-24) got a run back in the sixth, recently promoted C.J. Kayfus dealt the final blow for the Ducks with a grand slam to right field, scoring Milan Tolentino, Joe Lampe and Halpin.

Jaime Arias (2-1) was credited with the win in relief, going 3⅔ innings and allowing a solo home run.

Tuesday, June 4: Kayfus drives in three in Ducks debut

Freshly promoted left fielder C.J. Kayfus had three hits and three RBIs in his Akron debut but it was not enough as the RubberDucks lost 12-5 at Portland on Tuesday night.

Four Ducks pitchers gave up 12 runs on 19 hits and five walks. Tommy Mace (6-2) took the loss after going just 3⅓ innings.

Kayfus was the only player to record multiple hits for the Ducks (30-22), ripping two doubles, scoring a run and driving in three. Aaron Bracho knocked in two runs with a double in the first inning.

Sunday, June 2: Planez stays hot, rips walk-off double in Ducks win

The RubberDucks rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth to walk-off the Fisher Cats with a 7-6 win in a wild finish on Sunday afternoon at Canal Park.

After the Fisher Cats scored two runs in the seventh and ninth innings to take the lead, the Ducks (30-21) responded, sparked by a Milan Tolentino solo home run on a two-strike count in the first at-bat of the ninth. Joe Naranjo followed with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Kahlil Watson drove him home with a single to tie the game at 6-6 before Alexfri Planez stayed scorching hot and ripped a game-winning double to plate Watson.

Planez finished the game 4-for-5 with two doubles, a home run, two runs and two RBI. This comes a day after ripping a triple and a home run in Saturday's loss. Watson ended up 3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs and an RBI.

Tyler Thornton (1-0) stole the win on the hill after giving up two runs in the top of the ninth. Doug Nikhazy started, going 5⅓ innings and allowing two runs on five hits. He walked three, struck out two and moved his ERA to 1.93 for the season.

Saturday, June 1: Leftwich gives up late home run as Ducks falls

Jack Leftwich gave up a solo home run to the first Fisher Cats batter he faced in relief as the RubberDucks fell 4-3 at Canal Park on Saturday night.

Starter Ryan Webb delivered a quality start for the Ducks (29-21), allowing three runs on four hits and one walk in six innings. He struck out five before turning it over to Leftwich in the seventh. Gabriel Martinez took the third pitch he saw to deep center field to break a 3-3 tie and give the Fisher Cats (23-27) the win.

The RubberDucks opened the scoring in the first inning when Kahlil Watson stole third base and came home on a throwing error by the catcher. Alexfri Planez followed it up with a solo home run to left that gave the Ducks a 2-0 lead. The final run came on another rope from Planez, who tripled to center field and plated Christian Cairo.

Friday, May 31: Ducks score final six runs to sink Fisher Cats

Four pitchers held the visiting New Hampshire Fisher Cats to three runs on seven hits and three walks as the RubberDucks rolled to an 8-3 win Friday night.

Aaron Davenport (4-1) pitched the first five innings, allowing all three runs, and earned the victory.

The Ducks' Milan Tolentino singled to score Yordys Valdes to tie the score 3-3 in the fourth. Joe Naranjo followed with a sacrifice fly to center to plate Joe Lampe and put the Ducks in front for good at 4-3.

The Ducks (29-20) tacked on four more runs in the eighth inning, with Dayan Frias providing the big hit with a triple to left field to score Aaron Bracho and Kody Huff. It was Frias' first triple of the season.

Thursday, May 30: Fisher Cats pitchers dominant in win over Ducks

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats scored four runs in the fourth inning and didn't allow a hit until the eighth inning in a 6-1 win over the RubberDucks Thursday night at Canal Park. Michael Turconi's bases-loaded double put the Fisher Cats up 5-0.

Rodney Boone got the start for Akron and rolled through the first two innings, allowing only one New Hampshire batter to reach base. The visitors then got a run off the left-hander in the third and chased Boone with the bases loaded in the fourth.

Boone (2-1) allowed four runs, striking out two, in 3⅔ innings. Jordan Jones struck out three and allowed a run in 3⅓ allowing one run, and Alaska Abney allowed a run over two innings in his Ducks debut.

The RubberDucks were held hitless until the eighth, when Yordys Valdes singled up the middle to break up the combined no-hit bid. Joe Lampe followed by lining a double to left, advancing Valdes to third before an errant throw brought him in with the Ducks' only run.

Wednesday, May 29: Tommy Mace, Alexfri Planez lead Ducks over Fisher Cats

Starting pitcher Tommy Mace delivered another solid outing and a few late runs helped the RubberDucks snap a three-game losing streak with a 5-2 win over the Fisher Cats at Canal Park on Wednesday.

Mace (6-1) tossed seven innings, allowing two unearned runs on three hits and three walks. He struck out three and lowered his ERA to 1.79 this season. Trey Benton and Tyler Thornton held the lead over the final two innings.

Alexfri Planez got the scoring started with his fifth home run of the year, a solo shot to left field in the fourth inning. Joe Lampe plated Yordys Valdes later in the inning by reaching on a fielder's choice.

After the Fisher Cats (21-26) answered and tied the score 2-2 in the fifth, the Ducks (28-19) responded with three runs in the sixth inning. Milan Tolentino reached via fielder's choice to score Dayan Frias before Joe Naranjo smacked a line-drive double that brought home Tolentino and Lampe.

Tuesday, May 28: Torres Jr. wild 10th inning costs Ducks

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats scored two runs in the first inning and tenth inning in a 4-2 extra-inning victory over the RubberDucks at Canal Park on Tuesday.

Starting pitcher Doug Nikhazy gave up two solo home runs in the first inning to put the Ducks (27-19) in an early hole. He settled in afterwards, throwing 4⅔ innings and striking out six to keep the score at 2-0.

In the bottom of the eighth, Christian Cairo singled to center field, driving in Dayan Frias and Joe Lampe to tie the game at 2-2.

With the automatic runner on second base to start the 10th inning, Ducks reliever Lenny Torres Jr. (1-1) got two quick strikeouts before losing all control. He proceeded to walk three batters and uncorked three wild pitches to give away two runs and take the loss.

Sunday, May 26: Ducks swept by Senators in doubleheader

The RubberDucks dropped a pair of 7-inning games Sunday, losing to visiting Harrisburg 2-0 and 1-0 at Canal Park. Akron lost the regularly scheduled Sunday game as Harrisburg scored in the first and fifth inning off Ducks starter Ryan Webb. Webb was tagged with the loss to fall to 1-4. The Senators mustered six hits despite Webb striking out seven.

In the nightcap, which was a makeup from Saturday's rained out contest, Brad Lord struck out nine Akron batters and only allowed three singles and three walks. Lord improved to 5-1 by shutting out the Ducks in a complete game effort. The Senators took 4-of-6 games this series from Akron to force a first-place tie with the Ducks. Both Akron and Harrisburg have a .600 winning percentage with 27-18 records, two games ahead of Erie. New Hampshire comes to Akron on Tuesday to open a 6-game series.

Friday, May 24: Ducks outlast Senators in 10 innings

Micael Ramirez's 12th-inning single scored Alexfri Planez and lifted the RubberDucks to a 10-9 win in 10 innings Friday night in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Lenny Torres pitched the final two innings without surrendering a run to earn the victory for the first-place Ducks, who have split the first four games of the six-game series with the Senators.

The Ducks led 6-1 through the first 6½ innings, but the Senators responded with three runs in the seventh and two in the eighth to get back into the game.

Five batters, including Ramirez, had two hits for the Ducks, who collected 14 singles. Aaron Bracho went 2-for-5 with an RBI and doubled in the fourth for the Ducks' only extra-base hit.

Thursday, May 23: Tommy Mace, Kody Huff lead Ducks over Senators

Tommy Mace threw seven innings for the third time in four outings to lead the RubberDucks to a 3-2 win in 10 innings at Harrisburg Thursday night.

Catcher Kody Huff hit a two-run home run in the first inning for the Ducks, who took a one-game lead over the host Senators in the Eastern League's Southwest Division. It was Huff's third homer of the season.

Pinch-hitter Alexfri Planez grounded out in the 10th inning to score Joe Lampe, giving the Ducks a one-run lead.

In the home half of the 10th, reliever Bradley Hanner retired the first two Senators batters with the tying run at second base. Harrisburg designated hitter Robert Hassell III hit a ground ball that shortstop Dayan Frías slid to stop in shallow left field. With pinch-runner Cody Wilson rounding third base, Frías threw to third baseman Yordys Valdés, whose throw to Huff was in time to get Wilson at the plate for the game’s final out.

Reliever Jack Leftwich (2-2) got the win, and Hanner earned his first save.

Wednesday, May 22: Bullpen gives up late runs in loss to Senators

Trailing 4-0, the visiting RubberDucks stormed back with a five-run eighth inning but the Harrisburg Senators answered with two of their own to down the visiting Ducks 6-5 on Wednesday night.

Joe Lampe sparked the late Ducks rally with a single to score Joe Naranjo. Connor Kokx followed with another run-scoring single just before Christian Cairo grounded into a double play that scored one more. Kahlil Watson punctuated the inning with a two-run home run to right field to put the Ducks (25-16) ahead 5-4.

Ross Carver (1-2) gave up back-to-back singles in the eighth to blow the save and take the loss. Doug Nikhazy got the start and went 4⅔ innings, giving up three runs on five hits. He walked two and struck out one.

Tuesday, May 21: Lampe homer not enough as Ducks drop series opener

A Joe Lampe solo home run was all the RubberDucks could muster as they fell 2-1 on the road to the Harrisburg Senators in Tuesday's series opener.

Both teams collected eight hits, but the Senators strung them together at the right time to push across their second run in the third inning. Mental mistakes also hurt the Ducks (25-15), committing two errors, walking three batters, hitting one and recording a balk.

Ryan Webb (1-3) delivered a quality start but was stuck with the loss, going six innings and allowing two runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out three but was undone by Senators third baseman Brady House. House went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and drove in the game-winning run with a line drive to center field.

Sunday, May 19: Bullpen falters as Ducks lose series finale

After trailing 2-0 early, the Altoona Curve scored the final six runs of the game to beat the RubberDucks 6-2 in the series finale at Canal Park on Sunday.

Joe Lampe drove in both Akron runs with a double in the second inning and a single in the fourth to give the Ducks (25-14) an early advantage. Christian Cairo scored a run after ripping a triple in the fourth.

However, after starting pitcher Aaron Davenport left after five shutout innings, the Ducks bullpen let the game get away, giving up six runs in the next three innings. Davis Sharpe (2-1) blew the save and took the loss, allowing three runs on two hits and two walks in just two-thirds of an inning. Bradley Hanner followed with one run allowed before Trey Benton gave up two more.

Saturday, May 18: Kahlil Watson, Milan Tolentino homer in Ducks win

Kahlil Watson broke open a scoreless game with a solo home run in the seventh inning to spark a RubberDucks rally that resulted in a 4-0 win over the Altoona Curve at Canal Park on Saturday.

After the Watson homer, Alexfri Planez singled to left field, driving in Aaron Bracho. Planez came around to score on a two-run home run by Milan Tolentino to cap the scoring for the first-place Ducks (25-13).

Starting pitcher Rodney Boone kept the Curve (9-29) off the board through four innings, allowing just two hits and striking out five. Lenny Torres Jr. followed with two sterling innings to keep his ERA at 0.00. Ross Carver (1-1) tossed a clean seventh inning to get the win before Jack Leftwich closed out the last two innings with two strikeouts.

Friday, May 17: Dayan Frias' grand slam keys Ducks win over Curve

Dayan Frias hit a grand slam to key a six-run first inning after a rain delay Friday and the RubberDucks held on to beat the Altoona Curve 6-3 at Canal Park.

Tommy Mace (5-1) had the longest outing by a Ducks starter since 2018 to earn the win. He struck out five and allowed two solo home runs in 7⅔ innings, and leads the Eastern League in wins and innings pitched (46⅓).

The Ducks were held in check after the first, limited to a single by Kahlil Watson in the second and a single by Frias in the fourth.

The Curve loaded the bases in the ninth, but reliever Andrew Walters got out of the jam for the first-place Ducks.

Thursday, May 16: Curve score three times in 9th to beat Ducks

The visiting Altoona Curve scored three runs in the ninth inning to beat the Akron RubberDucks 4-1 on Thursday night at Canal Park. The Ducks tied the score 1-1 in the eighth inning, only to have Altoona rally for the win in its next at-bat.

The Curve's Jase Bowen drew a walk off Jordan Jones (1-3), the Ducks' fourth reliever of the game, to start the ninth and came around to score on a double by Joe Perez. Two batters later, Carter Bins lined a RBI double and then scored on Brenden Dixon's double to give the Curve a three-run lead.

The Ducks were held in check until the eighth inning, when Joe Lampe led off with a double, advanced to third on a flyout and scored on Alexfri Planez's pinch-hit sacrifice fly to make it 1-1.

Wednesday, May 15: Ducks rally to beat Curve at Canal Park

An eventful three-run sixth inning completed another comeback win for the RubberDucks, who escaped with a 4-3 win over the Altoona Curve at Canal Park on Wednesday.

Starter Ryan Webb gave up three runs over 5⅔ innings to put the Ducks in an early 3-1 hole. He allowed six hits, walked four and struck out three.

Milan Tolentino sparked a sixth-inning rally for the Ducks (23-12) with a single to drive in Kahlil Watson and force a pitching change. Micael Ramirez immediately coaxed a walk before Dayan Frias hit a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Alexfri Planez. Ramirez was then caught stealing, but not before Tolentino stole home during the rundown to score the game-winning run.

Bradley Hanner (3-1) got the win in relief and Jack Leftwich threw two perfect innings to earn his third save of the season.

Tuesday, May 14: Tolentino hits walk-off in Ducks win

They waited until the ninth inning, but the RubberDucks strung a few hits together in their last at-bats to escape with a 2-1 walk-off win over the Altoona Curve at Canal Park on Tuesday afternoon.

The Curve (8-26) took the lead early with a solo home run in the third inning. Aaron Davenport settled in for the Ducks (22-12) after that, making it through seven innings while allowing three hits and striking out six. Lenny Torres Jr. and Andrew Walters (3-0) each put up a shutout inning to set up the ninth inning drama.

After Aaron Bracho and Kody Huff led off the ninth with walks, Joe Naranjo hit a single up the middle to score pinch-runner Connor Kokx and tie the game. Milan Tolentino delivered the game-winner with a single to center field to take the series-opener.

Saturday, May 11: Planez homers twice in shutout win

The RubberDucks kept the Baysox off the board for the second straight game and have now thrown 23 consecutive scoreless innings after a 6-0 win at Bowie on Saturday night.

Tommy Mace made quick work of the Baysox (16-15), breezing through six shutout innings and allowing four hits and one walk. He struck out three in improving to 4-1 on the year. Davis Sharpe and Tyler Thornton locked down the final three innings, striking out five to preserve the shutout.

Alexfri Planez hammered two solo home runs for the Ducks (21-11). Petey Halpin also had a solo home run. Aaron Bracho, Joe Lampe and Halpin each tacked on run-scoring singles to complete the scoring.

Friday, May 10: Ducks bullpen shuts down Baysox in win

Even in a bullpen game, the RubberDucks blanked the Bowie Baysox 4-0 to earn a dominant road victory on Friday night.

Doug Nikhazy got the start and cruised through three innings, only giving up two hits and striking out six. The trio of Bradley Hanner, Jack Leftwich and Trey Benton each tossed two shutout innings to preserve the win. Leftwich (1-2) did not allow a hit and struck out two to earn his first win of the year.

At the plate, Petey Halpin did most of the damage with a three-run home run in the seventh inning to score Micael Ramirez and Connor Kokx. Joe Naranjo drove in Alexfri Planez in the fourth to start the scoring.

Thursday, May 9: Four Baysox pitchers combine to blank Ducks

Four Baysox pitchers combined to shut out the RubberDucks on just four hits in a 2-0 Eastern League win Thursday night in Bowie.

The Ducks had four singles, struck out 11 times and only had two baserunners reach scoring position.

Dylan Heid struck out three of the five batters he faced to earn the win in relief of Bowie starter Trace Bright, who only went 4⅓ innings. Houston Roth relieved Heid and recorded the next five outs with two strikeouts, before Ryan Watson notched a four-out save, his first of the year.

Joe Naranjo was the bright spot for the Ducks with two singles in four at-bats.

Wednesday, May 8: Aaron Bracho drives in 3 in Ducks victory

The RubberDucks rebounded from a rough loss on Tuesday by collecting 12 hits in a 9-2 rout of the Baysox at Bowie on Wednesday.

Runs came early and often for the Ducks (19-10), as Kody Huff drove in Petey Halpin in the first inning for a 1-0 lead. Singles by Christian Cairo and Aaron Bracho in the second inning pushed the lead to 4-0 before a double by Connor Kokx made it 6-0 and broke the game open in the third inning.

Aaron Bracho drove home one more run on a sacrifice fly in the eighth to finish his night with three RBIs. The other two runs came via a double steal that plated Joe Lampe and a balk that scored Kahlil Watson.

Aaron Davenport (3-0) was brilliant on the mound, cruising through six innings and allowing just one run on four hits and a walk. He struck out six and lowered his ERA to 2.01.

Tuesday, May 7: Baysox drub RubberDucks 17-1

Not much went right and it was a night to forget as the RubberDucks dropped their series-opener 17-1 in Bowie on Tuesday.

The lone run came in the first inning after Petey Halpin led off with a triple and was driven in by a sacrifice fly from Kahlil Watson.

Defensively, the Ducks (18-10) allowed 14 hits and 10 walks in addition to committing four errors. Six pitchers were needed to get through eight innings with Jordan Jones (1-2) taking the loss.

Sunday, May 5: Halpin delivers walk-off single in Ducks win

Petey Halpin’s RBI single gave the Akron RubberDucks its second walk-off win this season, 2-1 over the Richmond Flying Squirrels on Sunday afternoon at Canal Park.

The Ducks won five of the six games from Richmond in Akron and have won 12 of their last 13 games to remain atop of the Eastern League's Southwest Division.

The Ducks took a 1-0 lead in the fifth when Kahlil Watson led off with a triple and scored on Alexfri Planez's sacrifice fly. After the Flying Squirrels tied the score on a solo home run in the eighth, the Ducks' Dayan Frias opened the ninth with a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and — after Joe Lampe was hit by a pitch — scored on Halpin's single to right field.

Doug Nikhazy got the start for Akron and tossed a scoreless inning before a 1:37 rain delay ended his first start back off the injured list. Tommy Mace entered for the Ducks after the rain and was dominant, not allowing a hit for his first five innings before the Squirrels tied it in the eighth. But the right-hander recovered quickly to set down the next three to end his day at seven innings, allowing one run on two hits while striking out four. 

Bradley Hanner (2-1) worked a scoreless ninth and got the win.

Saturday, May 4: Tolentino sparks Ducks 9-4 comeback win

The RubberDucks recovered from a slow start with a pair of three-run innings to regain the lead and win 9-4 over the Flying Squirrels on Saturday at Canal Park.

Starter Jaime Arias (1-1) gave up all four runs in the second inning but settled in after that, finishing with five innings and recording the win. He allowed seven hits and one walk, striking out eight. Jack Leftwich, Erik Sabrowski and Andrew Walters continue to keep Richmond (12-14) at bay, combining for four innings of scoreless relief and nine strikeouts.

Trailing 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth, Milan Tolentino sparked the Ducks (17-9) rally with a triple to center field that scored Joe Naranjo. A Micael Ramirez single drove Tolentino home before he came around to score on a Petey Halpin single.

The following inning, tied 4-4, it was more of the same as Tolentino delivered again with a single to score Naranjo and Ramirez slapped a two-run single to provide some insurance runs and a 7-4 lead.

Friday, May 3:

The Richmond Flying Squirrels shutout the RubberDucks Friday night at Canal Park 4-0 to snap Akron's 10-game winning streak. It was the third longest streak in franchise history.

Akron starter Ryan Webb settled in after the early Richmond run and kept the visitors off the scoreboard until the fifth. The Flying Squirrels (12-13) got to the Akron lefty for two in the fifth and one in the sixth. In total, Webb tossed six innings allowing four runs while striking out four and fell to 1-1 this year. Jordan Jones, Lenny Torres Jr. and Ross Carver each threw scoreless innings in relief.

Akron was held in check for most of the night as four Richmond pitchers scattered five Akron hits. Alexfri Planez had Akron’s lone extra base hit by doubling with two out in the first. The RubberDucks (16-9) best chance to crack the scoreboard in fourth when Aaron Bracho singled and Kody Huff walked to put runners on first and second with one out, but a double play ball would end the inning without a run.

Thursday, May 2:

Yordys Valdes drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom the eighth to lift the RubberDucks over the Richmond Flying Squirrels 4-3 on Thursday night at Canal Park for the Ducks' 10th consecutive win.

After Richmond tied the score for the second time in the sixth, the Ducks answered in the bottom of the eighth. Aaron Bracho opened the inning by being hit by pitch. Back-to-back singles by Alexfri Planez and Christian Cairo loaded the bases with no outs. Valdes then worked a five-pitch walk to bring home Bracho and give Akron the 4-3 lead.

Aaron Davenport opened the game working out of jams in each of the first three innings. Richmond got to the right-hander for two in the fourth, but Davenport recovered and finished his night tossing five innings and allowing two runs (one earned) while striking out six. 

Trey Benton worked a scoreless eighth and ninth to pick up the win.

The Ducks jumped out in front 1-0 in the first inning when Kahlil Watson launched a solo home run, his fourth of the season, to right field. Later in the first, Valdes singled to right-center to score Bracho and make it 2-0.

After the Flying Squirrels tied the score in the fourth, the Ducks responded in the bottom half when Milan Tolentino singled home Joe Naranjo to make it 3-2.

Wednesday, May 1: Naranjo homers, drives in 4 as Ducks stretch win streak to 9

A four-run fifth inning pushed the RubberDucks ahead and three pitchers made it stand up for a 7-2 win at Canal Park that extended the Ducks' winning streak to nine games.

Trailing 2-0 in the fifth, Joe Naranjo blasted a three-run home run to center field. Aaron Bracho pushed across another run with a sacrifice fly to score Petey Halpin.

In the sixth, Kody Huff drilled his second home run of the season, and singles by Naranjo and Joe Lampe scored two more runs to punctuate the Ducks scoring.

Rodney Boone (2-0) delivered another quality start for the Ducks (15-8), going seven innings and allowing two runs on six hits. He struck out five and did not walk a batter. Andrew Walters and Erik Sabrowski slammed the door to keep the Ducks in first place in the division and the best record in the Eastern League.

Tuesday, April 30: Kahlil Watson homers, Ducks winning streak reaches 8

Tommy Mace had a dominant start and the RubberDucks stretched their winning streak to eight with a 3-0 series-opening win over the Richmond Flying Squirrels at Canal Park on Tuesday night.

Mace (3-1) gave up a single to the first batter he faced before retiring the next eight in order. He breezed through six strong innings, allowing just four hits and one walk while striking out six. Bradley Hanner and Jack Leftwich finished off the shutout, each striking out one, with Leftwich recording his second save of the season.

Kahlil Watson launched a solo home run in the fourth inning to lead the Ducks (14-8). Run-scoring singles by Yordys Valdes and Petey Halpin tacked on insurance runs.

Saturday, April 27: Halpin's heroics lead Ducks to sixth straight win

Petey Halpin ripped a line drive single to right field in the top of the ninth inning to score Joe Naranjo and propel the RubberDucks to a 5-4 comeback win and their sixth straight victory at Altoona on Saturday evening.

The Curve got to Ducks starter Ryan Webb early, jumping out to a 3-1 lead after three innings. Webb settled in from there, finishing with a line of five innings pitched and giving up three runs on seven hits to keep the Ducks (12-8) in the game. He walked three but struck out five.

Aaron Bracho sparked the rally effort in the fifth as his double to left field plated Naranjo to close the deficit to 3-2. Christian Cairo tied it with a sacrifice fly in the sixth to score Kody Huff before recording another sac fly in the eighth that allowed Alexfri Planez to score.

After Halpin's liner in the ninth put the Ducks up 5-4, Jack Leftwich pitched a clean ninth inning to earn his first save of the year.

Friday, April 26: Aaron Davenport pitches Ducks over Curve

The RubberDucks won their fifth consecutive game Friday night, beating the Curve 6-2 in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Ducks right-hander Aaron Davenport held the Curve hitless until the fifth inning, while the Ducks (11-8) scored four runs in the first four innings to take control.

Christian Cairo hit a two-out double to left and then scored on Milan Tolentino's single to put Akron up 1-0 in the second. The Ducks added two runs in the third and Cairo hit his second home run of the season, a solo shot, in the fourth inning to make it 4-0.

Davenport retired the first nine batters of the game and worked around two walks in the fourth inning by getting a comebacker to start an inning-ending double play. He allowed a two-out walk and the first Altoona hit in the fifth inning to score a run. He then surrendered consecutive singles to start the sixth inning before being lifted, allowing two earned runs on three hits and three walks with three strikeouts in five innings.

Left-hander Erik Sabrowski allowed an infield single that scored a run but retired the next three batters and struck out four in two scoreless innings. Right-hander Tyler Thornton pitched around a hit and an error to strike out three batters in two scoreless innings.

The Ducks last had a five-game winning streak in September 2022. They have won six straight games against the Curve since losing the season opener April 5 at Canal Park.

Thursday, April 25: 4 Ducks pitchers combine on 4-hit shutout of Curve

The RubberDucks won their fourth consecutive game, shutting out the host Altoona Curve 4-0 Thursday in Pennsylvania. Rodney Boone and three relievers combined on a four-hit shutout, and Alexfri Planez and Joe Lampe each had two-out RBI in the sixth inning.

In the sixth, Chase DeLauter walked with one out and Dayan Frías hit a two-out infield single to set the stage for Planez, who hit an RBI single — his fifth hit and fifth RBI in two games. Lampe then lined a two-run double to left field to make it 4-0.

Boone held Altoona scoreless until two one-out singles in the fifth inning and then gave way to Bradley Hanner (1-1), who worked 2⅓ scoreless innings to earn the win. Ross Carver and Lenny Torres then closed out the game for the Ducks' second shutout in three games in Altoona.

The Ducks (10-8) matched their longest winning streak of the season.

Wednesday, April 24: Dayan Frias, Alexfri Planez power Ducks over Curve

Dayan Frias and Alexfri Planez combined to go 6 for 8 with six runs scored and four RBIs to pace the RubberDucks in a thrilling 8-7 road victory over Altoona.

Planez ripped his second double and second home run of the season off Curve reliever Justin Meis. Frias also nailed two doubles off Meis to help the Ducks (9-8) race out to an 8-3 lead. Kahlil Watson added a solo home run.

Tommy Mace (2-1) got the win, tossing 5⅓ innings and giving up four runs on six hits. He walked two and struck out one. Trey Benton locked down the win with a perfect ninth inning for his first save of the year.

Tuesday, April 23: Bracho smacks three-run home run in Ducks 4-0 win

Aaron Bracho drilled a three-run home run in the third inning and four RubberDucks pitchers thoroughly dominated in a series-opening 4-0 road win over the Altoona Curve.

Starting pitcher Jaime Arias shut down the Curve through the first four innings, allowing just one hit. The lefty worked around five walks by striking out three. Davis Sharpe (2-0) and Erik Sabrowski followed with two flawless innings apiece before Jordan Jones slammed the door in the ninth.

Kahlil Watson went 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored for the Ducks (8-8). Petey Halpin and Chase DeLauter each slapped a single and scored a run while Joe Lampe went 2-for-4 with a double.

Sunday, April 21: Ducks snap 4-game skid with walk-off win

Alexfri Planez dashed home with the winning run on a fielder's choice in the ninth inning to give the RubberDucks a 2-1 win over the Erie SeaWolves on Sunday at Canal Park.

It was the Ducks' first walk-off victory of the season and snapped a four-game losing streak.

After the SeaWolves tied the score 1-1 in the eighth inning off Ducks reliever Andrew Walters, Planez singled to open the bottom of the ninth inning. He moved to second base two batters later when Christian Cairo singled to the left side.

Yordys Valdes then grounded into a fielder’s choice, narrowly beating the throw to first and preventing an Erie double play. After the call at first base, the SeaWolves tried to catch Planez in a rundown between third and home, but a wide throw to the plate allowed him to score the game-winning run.

After allowing the tying run to score, Walters (2-0) settled in to retire the next four SeaWolves batters, including three by strikeout, to earn the win.

The Ducks head to Altoona, Pa., to open a six-game series against the Curve on Tuesday.

Saturday, April 20: Ross Carver blows save, Ducks drop fourth straight

RubberDucks reliever Ross Carver gave up three runs in the eighth inning, allowing the SeaWolves to rally for a 6-5 victory at Canal Park on Saturday.

The Ducks (6-8) took the lead with a four-run sixth inning on a wild pitch and run-scoring singles by Yordys Valdes and Petey Halpin. Kahlil Watson stole two bases and Halpin stole another to put the pressure on the SeaWolves (9-4).

Aaron Davenport got the start for the Ducks, going 5⅔ innings and giving up three runs on seven hits. He walked three and struck out four. The blown save was the second of the season for Carver (0-1).

Friday, April 19: Rehabbing Sam Hentges shines, but SeaWolves rally past Ducks

Sam Hentges pitched a scoreless inning on a rehab assignment from the Cleveland Guardians, but little else went right for the RubberDucks in a 7-2 loss to the Erie SeaWolves Friday night at Canal Park.

Hentges struck out one and didn't allow a hit or a walk in a scoreless first inning, and the Ducks staked him to a 2-0 lead when Petey Halpin scored on a balk and Aaron Bracho singled to score Kahlil Watson in the home half. Watson had two of the Ducks' six hits in the game.

But the SeaWolves (8-4) responded with single runs in the fourth and sixth innings to tie it, and then jumped on reliever Jack Leftwich (0-1) for four runs on five hits and a walk in the eighth to hand the Ducks (6-7) their third consecutive loss.

Thursday, April 18: SeaWolves use two big innings to sink Ducks

The Erie Seawolves pounded out nine hits and routed the RubberDucks 9-3 Thursday night at Canal Park.

The SeaWolves (7-4) scored five times in the fifth inning and four in the eighth.

Ducks starter Tommy Mace (1-1), the first of four Akron pitchers, gave up five runs (three earned) on three hits and three walks in 4⅓ innings.

The Ducks (6-6) collected seven hits and scored single runs in the third, fourth and seventh innings. Christian Cairo and Kahlil Watson both hit their first home runs of the year and first in Double-A, and Chase DeLauter had his second multi-hit game of the week.

The two teams square off at 7:05 p.m. Friday at Canal Park.

Wednesday, April 17: Ducks hitters struggle in shutout loss to SeaWolves

The lineup never got going as the RubberDucks were blanked 4-0 by the Erie SeaWolves on Wednesday night at Canal Park.

The first six batters in the order combined to go 0 for 21 with 10 strikeouts against an overpowering trio of Erie (6-4) pitchers. Joe Naranjo ripped a single and a double, accounting for half the hits for the Ducks (6-5).

Ducks starter Jaime Arias (0-1) took the loss, allowing one run on four hits. He did not walk a batter and struck out five.

Tuesday, April 16: DeLauter homers in Ducks 6-0 victory

Extra-base hits and dominant pitching led the RubberDucks to a 6-0 series-opening victory over the Erie SeaWolves at Canal Park on Tuesday night.

Top prospect Chase DeLauter went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs to lead the Ducks (6-4) offensively. Kahlil Watson added a triple while Yordys Valdez and Joe Lampe each ripped run-scoring doubles.

On the hill, Ryan Webb (1-0) twirled five strong innings, allowing just three hits and striking out six. Ross Carver, Jack Leftwich and Andrew Walters combined to finish off the shutout, giving up one hit and punching out four.

Sunday, April 14: Flying Squirrels rally past Ducks in series finale

The Flying Squirrels scored the game's final five runs for a 5-1 win over the RubberDucks in the series finale Sunday in Richmond.

Christian Cairo had a double in three hits, Petey Halpin had two hits and Alexfri Planez hit a solo home run in the second inning for the lone run for the Ducks (5-4).

Ducks reliever Bradley Hanner was the hard-luck loser, allowing four sixth-inning runs — all unearned — on three hits while striking out three in 1⅓ innings. The big blow in the inning was a two-out, three-run home run by Grant McCray.

Saturday, April 13: Petey Halpin's ninth-inning triple lifts Ducks over Flying Squirrels

Petey Halpin's two-run ninth-inning triple lifted the visiting RubberDucks to a 6-4 win over the Richmond Flying Squirrels.

Two-out singles by Kody Huff and Yordys Valdes set up Halpin's heroics.

After starter Rodney Boone allowed four runs on three hits and a walk in four innings, four Ducks relievers combined to pitch five hitless and scoreless innings.

Huff finished with two hits and Aaron Bracho hit a two-run home run to stake the Ducks (5-3) to a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

Friday, April 12: 3-run home run dooms Ducks in loss to Flying Squirrels

Will Wilson hit a three-run home run and four Flying Squirrels pitchers made it stand up for a 3-2 win over the visiting RubberDucks.

The Ducks (4-3), who lost their second consecutive one-run game, managed just one hit over the final seven innings.

Kody Huff had two hits, including a home run, for the Ducks (4-3), who scored single runs in the first and second innings for a 2-0 lead.

That score remained until the sixth, when Wilson put the Squirrels on top for good with a blast off Ducks reliever Jack Leftwich (0-1) after starter Tommy Mace let the first two batters of the inning reach base.

Thursday, April 11: Error lets winning run score in Ducks loss to Flying Squirrels

An error by RubberDucks first baseman Joe Naranjo allowed the winning run to score in the bottom of the ninth inning in 2-1 loss to the Flying Squirrels.

The Ducks (4-2) had runners on third and first with two outs in the top of of ninth, but Micael Ramirez struck out swinging.

Jordan Jones (0-1), the third Ducks pitcher, took the loss. He allowed one unearned run on two hits and a walk with two strikeouts in 1⅔ innings. Starter Douglas Nikhazy pitched five scoreless innings, striking out eight and allowing one hit and one walk.

Kahlil Watson staked the Ducks to a 1-0 lead with a third-inning double to score Petey Halpin, but the Flying Squirrels (2-4) tied it with a run off Ducks reliever Ross Carver in the sixth.

Wednesday, April 10: Dayan Frias hits grand slam to power RubberDucks to win over Flying Squirrels

Third baseman Dayan Frías hit a go-ahead grand slam — his first Double-A home run — to cap a five-run eighth inning Wednesday night as the visiting RubberDucks rallied from a 3-0 deficit to earn a 6-3 win over the Flying Squirrels in the second game of a six-game series before a crowd of 7,502 at The Diamond in Richmond, Va.

Ducks shortstop Yordys Valdés hit a leadoff double down the left-field line in the eighth. Center fielder Petey Halpin and right fielder Chase DeLauter drew consecutive walks, forcing left-hander Nick Swiney out of the game after three batters. Second baseman Kahlil Watson hit an RBI groundout against right-hander Tyler Myrick (0-1). With two outs, Frías drilled a 2-2 pitch from Myrick 375 feet over the fence in right field for his third career grand slam.

The Ducks added a run in the ninth off right-hander Tanner Kiest. Catcher Kody Huff and Valdés each singled and Watson hit a two-out RBI single.

Ducks left-hander Ryan Webb allowed a first-inning solo home run to Flying Squirrels first baseman Victor Bericoto. Webb left the bases loaded in the second inning. In the fourth, he allowed three hits and a run on center fielder Grant McCray’s RBI single. Webb pitched 3⅔ innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits and one walk with six strikeouts.

Right-hander Bradley Hanner escaped a jam in the fourth inning and struck out the side in the fifth. Right-hander Trey Benton (1-1) tossed a perfect sixth before allowing a run on three hits in the seventh. Right-hander Tyler Thornton worked around a single, hit batter and walk for a scoreless eighth, and right-hander Lenny Torres Jr. worked around a leadoff single for a scoreless ninth and his second save in as many appearances.

The Ducks have won four straight games for the first time since July 3-6, 2023, against Erie and Harrisburg. Ironically, the Ducks' last grand slam also capped a five-run eighth inning in a 6-3 comeback win when Michael Berglund delivered on Sept. 3, 2023, against Bowie at Canal Park.

Tuesday, April 9: Aaron Bracho home run, solid pitching gives RubberDucks win over Flying Squirrels

Aaron Bracho hit a two-run home run in the top of the first inning and three RubberDucks pitchers made it stand up for a 2-1 win over the Flying Squirrels on Tuesday in Richmond, Va.

Aaron Davenport (1-0) started and worked five innings for the win. He allowed only one hit and one walk while striking out six. Jack Leftwich came on to strike out four in two hitless and scoreless innings, and Andrew Walters pitched the final two innings, allowing one run on three hits with three strikeouts for his second save.

Kahlil Watson and Dayan Frias had the other two hits for the Ducks (3-1), who won despite being outhit 6-3.

Sunday, April 7: Petey Halpin and Rodney Boone power RubberDucks to win over Curve

RubberDucks center fielder Petey Halpin hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth inning and five pitchers combined to post a shutout in a 1-0 win over the Altoona Curve before a crowd of 2,036 at Canal Park.

Halpin's homer off Valentin Linarez cleared the fence in center field. Halpin finished the three-game series 7-for-13 with a home run and four RBIs.

Ethan Hankins started on the mound for Akron and worked around a two-out walk for a scoreless first inning. He allowed two hits and a walk and struck out one in the second before turning the inning over to the bullpen with two outs. Davis Sharpe escaped the bases loaded jam by getting a lineout to first to end the second and then pitched a scoreless third. 

Rodney Boone allowed only three base runners (two walks and a hit) over 4 ⅔ scoreless innings and had three strikeouts to get a win. Bradley Hanner pitched ⅓ of an inning and Lenny Torres Jr. worked a perfect ninth to pick up a save in his Double-A debut.

Saturday, April 6: Petey Halpin and Yordys Valdes lead RubberDucks to win over Curve

RubberDucks shortstop Yordys Valdes collected two hits and two RBIs and right fielder Petey Halpin had three hits and scored two runs to lead the RubberDucks to a 5-2 win over the Altoona Curve before a crowd of 1,860 at Canal Park.

Halpin recorded three hits in his first three at-bats for the second night in a row.

Akron starter Tommy Mace pitched five shutout innings with four strikeouts and allowed three hits and one walk to get a win. Ross Carver fired two scoreless innings with five strikeouts and Tyler Thornton allowed two runs (one earned) in ⅔ of an inning. Andrew Walters struck out all four batters he faced to earn a save in his professional baseball regular season debut after being drafted by the Guardians in 2023.

The RubberDucks took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Halpin scored on a sacrifice fly by Aaron Bracho. Valdes singled in Kody Huff in the second to make it 2-0.

Bracho reached on a fielder's choice in the fifth that scored Halpin, Valdes singled in Christian Cairo in the sixth and Dayan Frias reached on a fielder's choice in the seventh that scored Chase DeLauter.

Altoona's Sean Sullivan took the loss after pitching 3 ⅔ innings and allowing six hits, two runs and a walk.

Friday, April 5: Curve top RubberDucks in Opening Day at Canal Park

RubberDucks left fielder Petey Halpin had three hits and three RBIs, but the Altoona Curve rallied in the season opener to defeat the RubberDucks 4-3 in 10 innings before a crowd of 4,019 at Canal Park.

The Curve tied the RubberDucks in the ninth inning when a wild pitch by Jack Leftwich allowed Jackson Glenn to score. Matt Fraizer singled home Seth Beer in the 10th to complete the comeback and give Altoona the win.

RubberDucks starter Doug Nikhazy pitched five no-hit innings with five strikeouts and two walks. Jordan Jones allowed two runs, two hits and a walk in one inning, Bradley Hanner pitched a perfect seventh, Leftwich allowed a run on two hits and a walk in two innings and Trey Benton allowed an unearned run and one hit in the final inning.

Halpin doubled in Aaron Bracho and Kody Huff in the bottom of the second and singled home Milan Tolentino in the bottom of the fourth to give Akron a 3-0 lead. Altoona scored twice in the sixth with Kervin Pichardo scoring on a groundout and Glenn hitting a single that scored Fraizer. 

Altoona reliever Isaac Mattson earned the win with two shutout innings.