AKRON, OH – In a game that featured a no-hit bid carried into the seventh, a 13-minute fireworks delay and two teams combining to go 1-for-24 with runners in scoring position, the Akron RubberDucks slipped past the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, 1-0, on a walk-off, swinging-third-strike passed ball on Saturday night at Canal Park.
The game opened as pitchers’ duel with Akron starter Sean Brady and Binghamton starter Ricky Knapp going zero-for-zero. Brady mowed down the first 13 Rumble Pony hitters he faced before clipping Tomas Nido with a 1-2 pitch in the fifth. In the seventh, Levi Michael broke up the no-hit bid with a one-out single up the middle.
Ricky Knapp matched Brady’s strong performance for the first six innings. Making his second start of the season since returning from the disabled list, Knapp kept the RubberDucks in check for a half-dozen blank innings. The righty stepped around six hits and prevented any Duck from reaching third base.
The Rumble Ponies had several chances to score once their bats came to life late, but could not collect the timely hit. Tim Tebow doubled to start the ninth, extending his hitting streak to ten games, but his pinch-runner John Mora was thrown out at home attempting to score on a single to right. Binghamton filled the bases in the tenth, but Jhoan Urena flied out to the warning track in right to end the threat.
Just as Akron reliever RC Orlan was set to start the 12th inning, a fireworks show from the nearby Italian-American Festival held in downtown Akron disrupted play for 13 minutes. After the smoke literately cleared, Orlan tossed a scoreless inning.
In the bottom of the inning, the Ducks bunted placed runner Bobby Bradley to third. Following an intentional walk, reliever Matt Blackham struck out Mark Mathias. Sam Haggerty followed by waving at a 2-2 pitch low and outside. The ball got away from catcher Patrick Mazeika and skipped toward the Ducks dugout, allowing Bradley to scamper home with the game-winning run.
Binghamton went 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners aboard, with all stranded after the seventh inning.
POSTGAME NOTES: Binghamton suffered their sixth shutout loss of the season and their second straight extra-inning walk-off defeat…the Rumble Ponies’ 12-inning game was their longest game, by innings, this season…Cory Taylor tossed two scoreless innings in extras, despite dealing with a pair of placed runners
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