Quantcast
Channel: Apple News Feed
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 4516

RubberDucks 2, Thunder 1: Ducks complete sweep of Thunder to claim Eastern League championship

$
0
0

The team that probably shouldn’t have just did.

The RubberDucks ended the season Friday by sweeping the Trenton Thunder in three games with a 2-1 victory at Arm & Hammer Park in Trenton, N.J., to win the Eastern League Championship Series.

It was the final step in what was an incredible season for the Ducks, who went 27-6 down the stretch to win the organization’s fifth title and first since 2012.

Like four seasons ago, it came against the Thunder. Unlike 2012, it came in a sweep and not four games.

“It was an unreal year,” RubberDucks outfielder Jordan Smith said. “We’re very blessed with how we finished it off. The team really came together. What more can you ask for than winning a championship?

“The coaching staff really preached positivity into us. We really wanted to give it a good run. When we made it into the playoffs, all we wanted to do was win.”

To put that in perspective, the Ducks were seven games out of first place on Aug. 9 and won the Western Division.

“You can’t say enough,” RubberDucks manager David Wallace said. “These are men of character. They have a great work ethic. They have great heads on their shoulders and that’s where it starts. I’m really proud of these guys. It was a full team effort.”

Facing countless promotions and a trade midway through the season, the revamped team took out the Altoona Curve in four games to reach the finals for the 10th time in franchise history and then bounced the Thunder by winning two at home and one on the road.

“It’s a team effort,” said RubberDucks catcher/designated hitter Eric Haase, who was named MVP. “From the time I got here until now, it’s almost completely different. They competed. They battled their [butts] off.”

Scoring a run on a groundout by Smith in the third and sacrifice fly by Eric Stamets in the fifth, the Ducks took a two-run lead midway through the game.

Sebastian Valle hit a home run in the bottom of the fifth for Trenton, but that’s the way it stayed as Cole Sulser came on in relief of Nick Pasquale and went 2⅓ innings of no-hit ball with two strikeouts for his second hold in the postseason.

Louis Head worked a scoreless ninth to pick up his second save of the series. He finished the season by not giving up a run in 16 consecutive outings (18⅔ innings).

Pasquale, who was on the hill for the playoff-clinching game in the regular season and Western Division Series win, picked up the victory.

The right-hander went 5⅔ innings and gave up four hits and one run.

He walked one and struck out three.

In his last three starts, Pasquale went 2-0 with two earned run over 20⅔ innings.

“It’s awesome,” he said. “I don’t even know what to say. This game was a nail-biter. Everyone pitched great. Sulser pitched great. Head was great. The bullpen was great all year.”

RubberDucks director of media relations Adam Liberman contributed to this story.


Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 4516

Trending Articles