The Harrisburg Senators thrilled fans on Opening Night with a dramatic 13-12 victory over the Akron RubberDucks in extra innings on Tuesday (April 7). Despite holding a commanding 10-1 lead after three innings, the Senators had to fend off a fierce comeback by Akron, who tied the game at 12 in the eighth inning.
Key performances included Sam Petersen, who hit a three-run homer in the second inning and added an RBI double in the third. Cayden Wallace also contributed with a 430-foot home run in the seventh. The Senators' offense was prolific, scoring 13 runs on 14 hits, drawing eight walks, and enduring three hit batsmen.
The game was ultimately decided in the bottom of the tenth inning when Cortland Lawson drove in Jonathon Thomas with a groundball single up the middle, securing the walk-off win. According to MiLB.com, Thomas had pinch-run for Caleb Lomavita and stole third base before scoring the winning run.
The Senators' pitching staff, led by Sandy Gaston, who pitched scoreless ninth and tenth innings, helped secure the victory. Shinnosuke Ogasawara made a strong debut, allowing only one earned run while striking out nine in 5.1 innings.
With this win, the Senators remain undefeated at 4-0, while the RubberDucks fall to 3-1. The teams will meet again on Wednesday (April 8) at 6:30 p.m. at FNB Field, with Eriq Swan set to make his debut for Harrisburg.