Aeros Lose In Ninth, Must Sweep At Home

The Akron Aeros must get a three-game sweep this weekend at Canal Park to win the Eastern League championship. The Aeros dropped the second game of the best-of-five finals in Trenton, 3-2, Wednesday night. The bullpen yielded an eighth-inning run to tie it, then lost it in the ninth. The host Thunder had won the opening game Tuesday night, 5-3.

The Aeros took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning, but Chuck Lofgren, Reid Santos and Jim Ed Warden yielded one run apiece to the Thunder, winners of the Northern Division.

Lofgren allowed only one run over five innings, but was constantly in trouble as he walked six and gave up six hits. The left-hander struck out three.

Santos worked a scoreless sixth and seventh, but yielded the tying run in the eighth before Jim Ed Warden came on to get an inning-ending strikeout.

Warden didn't get an out in the ninth. He walked Colin Curtis, who moved up on a wild pitch and scored on a ground single to right by Noah Hall. The throw from right-fielder Cirilo Cumberbatch appeared to beat the runner, but Curtis avoided the tag by catcher Wyatt Toregas with a nifty slide -- then was mobbed by teammates.

A throwing error helped the Aeros take their 2-0 lead.

Jordan Brown opened the fourth with an infield single and scored on Michael Aubrey's line double to right. One out later, Rodney Choy Foo reached when third baseman Marcos Vechionacci threw away his grounder for an error, allowing Aubrey to score.

Tied at 2, the Aeros' failure to get down a sacrifice bunt cost them the chance to possibly go ahead in the top of the ninth.

Ryan Goleski opened the inning with a single and Choy Foo beat out a bunt to put runners on first and second. But Cumberbatch popped out on his bunt attempt and both Toregas and Argenis Reyes struck out to end the threat.

Aeros leadoff hitter Trevor Crowe went 2-for-4 with two steals, but didn't score as the Trenton pitching staff continued its fine post-season. Thunder pitchers are a combined 5-1 with a 1.40 ERA in the playoffs as Trenton seeks its first Eastern League title.

The Aeros are making their fourth appearance in five years in the championship series. Akron was Eastern League champion in 2003 and 2005.

EASTERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
GAME 1
Tuesday, September 11
6:05 pm – Waterfront Park, Trenton, N.J.
Trenton Thunder 5, Akron Aeros 3

GAME 2 Wednesday, September 12
6:05 pm – Waterfront Park, Trenton, N.J.
Trenton Thunder 3, Akron Aeros 2

GAME 3
Friday, September 14
7:05 pm – Canal Park, Akron
Akron LHP Jeremy Sowers vs. RHP Alan Horne

GAME 4 (if necessary)
Saturday, September 15
7:05 pm – Canal Park, Akron
Akron RHP Bobby Brownlie vs. RHP Dan McCutchen

GAME 5 (if necessary)
Sunday, September 16
7:05 pm – Canal Park, Akron
Akron RHP Adam Miller vs. RHP Jeff Marquez