In a game that took nearly four hours and featured 17 runs and 31 hits, the true key to Akron’s 11-6 win was the ability to deliver clutch hits when needed. The victory gives the South Division champion Aeros a two games to one edge in the best of five series to see who faces the North Division playoff winner.
Top Pirate prospect John VanBenschoten couldn’t get out of the first inning on Friday night in the first playoff game ever played at Blair County Ballpark. The Aeros scored six times to send VanBenschoten to the showers early. The big hit was a bases-loaded double by Ryan Church that cleared the sacks to give Akron a 4-0 lead and they tacked on two more runs before Neal McDade came on in relief to get the final out of the inning.
Although the big start would seem to take the starch out of any team, Altoona battled back to close to within 8-6 at the end of the fifth inning.
McDade cooled off the Aeros, pitching three more scoreless frames, allowing just one hit, walking two and striking out six to give the Curve time to come back.
Tom Fordham came on in the fifth however for the Altoona and was greeted by a two-run outburst to give the Aeros an 8-0 cushion.
With two out, Tyler Menges drilled a home run that just cleared the wall in left and a walk and two singles scored another.
Then after Altoona cut the lead to 8-6 with a six-run fifth, Akron put the finishing touches on their win with three more tallies against Curve reliever Shawn Camp, again all with two outs. Church was the biggest culprit again with a two-run double.
Altoona’s Ray Sadler opened the Curve fifth against Akron starter Kyle Denney with a single to left. Shaun Skrehot, who went four-for-four on the night, singled up the middle and Chris Duffy doubled down the left field line to score Sadler and send Skrehot to third. Shawn Garrett drilled a double to right that scored both Skrehot and Duffy to slice the deficit to 8-3.
After Kevin Nicholson, Thursday night’s hero with two home runs in Akron, grounded out, Brett Roneberg cracked the third double of the inning to get Garrett home. Chris Shelton banged the fifth two-bagger of the frame to score Roneberg and Shelton scored on J. R. house’s single to center.
Altoona had a golden opportunity in the bottom of the sixth inning, loading the bases on an infield single by Skrehot, Duffy’s base hit and a one-out walk to Nicholson. Akron reliever Jose Vargas, throwing bee-bees that registered 94-95 miles per hour on the speed gun struck out Roneberg and Jose Castillo to end the inning without a run scoring. Vargas pitched two innings of three-hit, scoreless relief, fanning four and walking one to pick up the win.
The Curve had plenty of opportunities, getting their leadoff batter on base in four straight innings and five overall and put a runner on base with one out in two other at bats, but were able to score in just one inning.
Everybody in the Curve lineup had at least one hit, led by Skrehot with four. Shawn Garrett was three-for-five with a double and two RBIs, and Roneberg and Duffy were each two-for-five with a double and one RBI.
For the first playoff game in Altoona, 7,097 were in attendance to see the Curve battle Akron. The Aeros win sets up a must-win situation for the Curve tonight. Altoona must win that game to force a Game Five back in Akron on Sunday at 4 p.m.
Former Altoona majority owner Bob Lozinak, Pirate CEO and Managing Partner Kevin McClatchy, Eastern league President Joe McEachern, Pirate Senior Vice President and General Manager Dave Littlefield, and Curve Majority owner Chuck Greenburg were just a few of the dignitaries recognized before the game. Ashley Dehaas of Tyrone was the honorary batgirl for the ballgame.
