PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The University of Akron baseball team scored seven runs in the ninth inning to steal a 9-7 victory from host Duquesne Wednesday afternoon at Duquesne Field.

A pair of Dukes’ errors opened the door in the Zips ninth as UA sent 12 batters to the plate to complete a rally from an early 7-0 deficit. Sophomore Kevin Haas (North Olmstead, Ohio/St. Ignatius) drove in the go-ahead run with a bloop single into left field that scored Phil Bednar (Monroe Falls, Ohio/Stow/Ball State).

The rally made a winner of Tom Farmer (Berea, Ohio/Berea), who improved to 3-3 on the season. Dukes reliever Danny Brown (0-1), who started the ninth, was charged with the setback.

Duquesne brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth but Farmer recorded a pair of strikeouts and a ground out to end the game. Farmer, who tossed two scoreless frames, was one of three UA pitchers to hold the Dukes scoreless after they scored seven times in the first four innings.

Redshirt freshman James Podgorney (Johnstown, Pa./Bishop McCort), who logged 2.1 scoreless innings, and junior Ryne Romick (Hannibal, Ohio/Hannibal River), who pitched around two hits in the seventh, bridged the gap to Farmer.

Doug McNulty (Homer City, Pa./Homer-Center) led the Zips with three hits while Kurt Davidson (North Canton, Ohio/Hoover), Matt Roberts (Bucyrus, Ohio/Bucyrus) and Brian Kordal (Twinsburg, Ohio/Twinsburg) eached check in with a pair.

Trailing 7-2 heading into the final frame, Davidson reached on a fielding error and checked into second when McNulty was hit by a pitch. Kordal, who scored UA’s first run of the game with a double in the fifth inning, added his second two-bagger of the game to score Davidson.

Vince Chiera (Akron, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) kept things rolling with a double to the gap in right center field that cleared the bases, pulling the Zips to within two, 7-5. The next batter, Roberts drew a walk and Bednar followed with a single to left to load the bases for Keene Marstrell (Dover, Ohio/Dover).

Marstrell chopped a ground ball to Dukes first baseman Aaron Janusey, who was unable to field the ball cleanly and allowed a pair of Zips runs to cross the plate and tie the game at 7-all. Haas followed with a looper into left field that gave UA its first lead of the game.

After a pair of fly outs, McNulty added an insurance run by chasing Martrell home with a single into right field.

The Dukes scored a pair of runs in the first and third innings before putting up a three spot in the fourth to take an early 7-0 lead.

Kordal got the Zips on the board in the fifth inning with a two-out double that chased home Davidson and Kevin Haas (North Olmstead, Ohio/St. Ignatius) made it 7-2 in the sixth with a ground ball that scored Roberts, who singled to lead off the frame.

The Zips return home to open a crucial three-game series with archrival Kent State with postseason implications on the line. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Lee Jackson Field Friday.