Squirrels thrown out at plate to end one-run loss

Representing the tying run, Squirrels catcher Steve Lerud was cut down at the plate to end the game in a 5-4 Richmond defeat on Monday at The Diamond.

Akron (44-34) managed to hang on over Richmond (27-49) as the Squirrels scored a pair of runs in the ninth but fell just short. Squirrels starting pitcher Dan Slania suffered the loss despite hurling a career-high seven innings on 111 pitches. Hunter Cole added a pair of doubles for the Squirrels offense in the loss.

Akron aggressively attacked Squirrels starter Dan Slania to start the series. Indians top prospect Bradley Zimmer crunched a homer to deep center field in the first to take a 1-0 lead. The RubberDucks added two more runs in the second off of Slania for an early 3-0 advantage. Joe Sever singled, and Daniel Salters doubled to put runners in scoring position to start the second. UVA product Mike Papi then brought in a run with a groundout to first, and Salters came around to score via a base hit by Claudio Bautista. Slania used 32 pitches in the first two frames.

The Squirrels managed to get a run back off starting pitcher Shawn Morimando in the bottom of the second. Hunter Cole doubled to begin the inning’s bottom half and came around to score on Steve Lerud’s base hit to right-center. Richmond loaded the bases in the inning but were only able to produce the one run.

Slania hung in the contest despite the early woes and worked seven innings in the defeat. Slania worked with runners on base in the first five innings of the outing before setting down the side in order in the sixth inning. The righty tossed 101 pitches through the first six innings and came back out to start the seventh. Slania retired the side again without incident and finished the day on his 111th pitch. The righty allowed four runs on a season-high eight hits and seven innings in the defeat.

The RubberDucks pulled Morimando after six innings. The lefty departed with a 4-2 lead and earned his league-leading 10th win in the outing. Morimando allowed three runs on two hits in the victory.

Akron added a run off Squirrels reliever Tyler Mizenko in the eight inning. With one out, Nellie Rodriguez slammed a solo home run off the video board in left center field for a 5-2 Akron advantage. Mizenko hurled one inning in the outing and Matt Reynolds tossed a scoreless ninth inning to keep the score 5-2.

Akron’s Perci Garner came on to relieve Morimando in the seventh and worked all the way into theninth to earn the save. Richmond mounted a late comeback in the ninth inning off Garner but fell a run shy. Tyler Horan walked to open the inning and advanced to second on an infield single from Brandon Bednar. Steve Lerud then delivered an RBI single to pull Richmond within two, 5-3. Garner then picked up a strikeout and a groundout to force a do-or-die situation with two outs. AliCastillo then stepped to the plate and singled to left field. Bednar scored on the play, but Lerud was thrown out at home attempting to tie the game. The loss sinks Richmond to a season-low 22 games below the .500 mark.