READING, PA – It took season-highs in runs, hits, innings and time of game, but Akron at long last completed an impressive comeback and snapped its four-game losing streak, defeating Reading 13-10 in a 12-inning, 4:31 marathon before 3,139 fans at FirstEnergy Stadium Monday night. The Aeros improved to 33-16 while the R-Phils slipped to 27-22.
 
Reading jumped out to a 5-0 lead after three innings, but Akron battled back with three runs in both the fourth and fifth frames to claim a short-lived 6-5 advantage. The Phillies responded with three in the bottom of the fifth to go back on top at 8-6, but Akron's John Drennen (just recalled from Class A Kinston the day before) socked a two-run homer to right field to knot the game at 8-8 in the top of the seventh.
 
Things really got interesting in the ninth, as the Aeros looked to win it in regulation. Drennen and Cristo Arnal collected back-to-back singles with two down in the top of the inning, and Jose Constanza drove a two-run double over the head of Michael Spidale in left field to put Akron in front at 10-8. The Aeros then called on closer Vinnie Pestano, but he suffered his third blown save of the season as Paul Bako's two-out RBI single to right pushed the game to extra innings.
 
Both sides left a runner in scoring position in the 10th, and the Aeros stranded Arnal at third base in the 11th before finally putting Reading away for good in the 12th. Carlos Santana, who caught all 12 innings and suffered through numerous foul tips behind the plate, ripped a one-out double into the right field corner off Joe Bisenius to start the rally. Jared Goedert grounded to short for the second out, but Armando Camacaro, who was only playing because DH Nick Weglarz was ejected in the seventh, grounded a single back up the middle to score Santana and put Akron in front to stay. Jerad Head then followed with a knock to right, and Drennen put an exclamation point on the affair with a two-run double to left-center to account for the final margin.
 

Erik Stiller (2-3) earned the win with three scoreless innings of relief, and his performance came just a day after working two shutout innings in Sunday's loss at Erie. He has not allowed a run in his last four appearances, spanning eight innings. Bisenius (0-2) suffered the loss, allowing all three runs and all four hits in the 12th. Drennen and Arnal paced the offense from the final two spots in the order, as the former finished 3-6 with a homer and five RBI and the latter tied a franchise record with five hits in the game. Drennen had totaled just 10 RBI in 21 games with Akron to open the year before busting loose, while Arnal finished 5-7 and was the first Aero to reach the five-hit plateau since Kevin Kouzmanoff on May 4th, 2006.
 
Not to be outdone, Goedert finished 2-6 with three RBI and Constanza collected two hits and two RBI. Beau Mills and Santana also had two-hit nights, with Mills scoring two runs and Santana crossing home plate three times. The Aeros set season-highs with 13 runs and 20 hits, and also with 14 runners left on base as a team. The club went 6-19 with runners in scoring position, and scored seven runs with two out in an inning (including the final five runs).
 
Game two in this four-game series is set for 7:05 p.m. Tuesday, and one can only guess what the teams will have as an encore. Left-hander Ryan Edell (1-0, 1.80 ERA) will start for Akron while Alex Concepcion (1-1, 3.45 ERA) goes for Reading. The game broadcast begins at 6:50 p.m. on SportsRadio 1350 AM and online at www.akronaeros.com. For more information, please call the Aeros at (330) 253-5151.

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