(ALTOONA, PA)- For the second consecutive night, the Erie SeaWolves dealt the Altoona Curve a crushing loss.
The SeaWolves came back from an early 7-0 deficit and defeated the \”visiting\” Curve 9-8 in 11 innings before a season-high 8,535 fans at Blair County Ballpark.
Altoona played the game as the visiting team in its own ballpark as a trade for the right to be the home team when the two clubs meet next Saturday night at PNC Park.
Erie (38-29) scored the game-winner in the 11th on an errant throw to the plate by Jeff Keppinger allowing Juan Tejeda to score. The SeaWolves moved to within a game of first-place Altoona (40-29) in the Eastern League\’s Southern Division.
Elio Serrano (2-4) suffered the loss for the second straight contest. Brian Schmack (2-3) pitched two perfect innings for the victory.
The Curve built their 7-0 lead over the first four innings against the Tigers\’ top prospect Kyle Sleeth. The right-hander, who was selected in the first round (third overall) in the 2003 draft, yielded two runs in the opening inning.
Chris Duffy walked, went to third on a double by Keppinger and scored on a ground out by Nate McLouth. Keppinger came in on a sacrifice fly by Josh Bonifay.
In the third, Bonifay smacked a two-run homer over the batter\’s eye in straight-away center field. The 415-foot blast marked the first baseman\’s eleventh home run of the season–tying his output for all of 2003.
Ryan Doumit followed Bonifay\’s round-tripper with one of his own. The third inning barrage marked the fifth time the Curve have hit back-to-back home runs this season.
The lead grew to seven on a two-run shot by Yurendell DeCaster in the fourth inning. DeCaster\’s ninth home run of the season extended his hitting streak to seven games. During the streak, the Curve third baseman has batted .458 with four home runs, a double, eight RBI, and eight runs scored.
Landon Jacobsen carried the lead into the sixth inning before Erie began its comeback. The SeaWolves scored a pair in the frame on four hits, a sacrifice fly, and an error. Still, the right-hander left the game with the Curve leading, 7-2. In six innings, Jacobsen allowed the two runs on seven hits, walked one, and struck out a season-high seven.
Erie pecked away in the seventh on a two-run single by Juan Tejeda off of reliever Mike Crudale.
In the eighth, the SeaWolves rallied into an 8-7 lead with four runs against relievers Eddie Candelario and Dave Lundquist. Candelario was charged with three runs on two hits and a walk in two-thirds of an inning. Lundquist yielded a run on two hits, a hit batsmen, and two wild pitches.
The Curve knotted the score in the top of the ninth against Erie closer Rick Palma. Duffy led off with a double off his former teammate. Keppinger moved the tying run to third with a ground out to first.
After McLouth popped out, Bonifay knocked the game-tying tally with a two-out, infield single to short. It was the fourth RBI of the contest for the team\’s leader in that department.
The Curve continue their homestand Monday at 7:05 p.m. with the first of a four-game series against the Akron Aeros. Altoona lefty Mike Connolly (6-4, 4.57) will be opposed by Akron right-hander Francisco Cruceta (4-8, 5.29).
The ballpark gates will open at 6 p.m. (5:50 for season ticket holders) for Irish Pat\’s Used Car Night. One used car per inning will be given away to \”lucky\” fans compliments of several local dealers.
NOTES: The crowd of 8,535 was the third largest in Curve history and helped the franchise set a new three-date attendance mark with 24,277 attending the series against the SeaWolves…McLouth extended his on-base streak to 25 games–two shy of the Curve record set by J.J. Davis in 2002…Ray Sadler lengthened his hitting streak to nine games with an eighth-inning double.
