PORTLAND (AP) – Brian Myrow belted a two-run homer, Keoni De Renne tripled with the bases loaded and Devern Hansack pitched eight strong innings as the Portland Sea Dogs beat the Akron Aeros 8-5 Sunday to clinch their first Eastern League Championship three games to two.

Akron’s offense was paced by Shaun Larkin’s homer and Ivan Ochoa’s two triples. The Aeros were the defending Eastern League champions, having defeated Portland three games to one in 2005.

Portland grabbed a 4-0 lead in the second inning. Chris Durbin singled to lead off the frame, Myrow belted Ronald Bay’s 3-2 offering into the right-field seats and George Kottaras’ RBI single capped the scoring outburst.

The Aeros responded with one run in the third when Larkin led off with a single, advanced on an error and scored on a groundout.

De Renne’s three-run triple and Jacoby Ellsbury’s RBI single were the pivotal hits in Portland’s four-run third inning.

Ochoa tripled and scored in the fifth and Larkin’s homer made it 8-3 in the seventh. Ochoa’s second triple of the game sparked two Akron runs in the top of the ninth.

Hansack struck out eight, walked none and gave up three runs over eight innings. Bay took the loss.


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