November 6, 2001

Akron Advances to ELCS

AKRON, OH - Playing in front of a packed house at MDS Memorial Park, the Akron Ryche
gave their fans something to celebrate by winning the sixth and deciding game of this
series by one run over the tough South Carolina Sea Cats.  Akron starter, and ELDS
MVP, Tim Hudson was brilliant once again, allowing just one run on five hits through
seven innings.  Once again, Sea Cats ace Roger Clemens pitched well enough to win,
allowing just two runs through 6 1/3 innings, but emerged with another post-season
loss.

Hudson and Clemens matched goose-eggs on the scoreboard for the first four innings,
waiting for the opposition to blink.  That happened in the fifth when, after striking
out Jim Edmonds and Ray Lankford to start the inning, Hudson allowed a solo shot to
South Carolina catcher Mitch Meluskey.

To their credit, the Ryche fought back immediately, and scored a run in the bottom
half of the inning on a leadoff triple by Darin Erstad followed by a base hit by 
Adrian Beltre.

In the sixth, South Carolina pushed a baserunner all the way to third, but failed to
bring him home when Edmonds popped out to center for the final out of the inning.
The Sea Cats wasted another scoring opportunity in the seventh when Paul Konerko 
doubled with two outs.  Warren Morris then struck out, ending the threat.

In the bottom half of that inning, Clemens's 124th pitch of the game landed in the
left field bleachers off the bat of Beltre, giving Akron a one run lead.  Sea Cats
relievers Mike Remlinger and Rich Garces then managed to hold the Ryche scoreless
for the final two innings.

In the South Carolina half of the eighth, Mark Wohlers walked Barry Larkin with one
out.  Ray King then got pinch hitter Ron Gant to ground into an inning-ending 5-4-3
double play started by series hero Beltre.  Akron closer Trevor Hoffman then erased
any further drama in the ninth, striking out Mike Sweeney, getting Edmonds to pop
out, and striking out Ray Lankford to end the game.

Akron catcher Mike Lieberthal led the charge toward the mound as the Ryche celebrated
their first post-season win.  In order to get to their first World Series, they'll
have to beat either the Chicago Black Sox or Kansas Law Dogs - two teams that will
test the theory that good pitching beats good hitting.