The Altoona Curve play better when thay home at Blair County Ballpark. In the first game of a three-game set against Bowie, the Curve refused to allow the Baysox to stay in front of them, coming from behing on three separate occasions to post an exciting 8-7 win for the 7, 024 fans in attendance on Friday night.
After falling behind 1-0, Altoona put four runs on the board in the second to go up 4-1. Dan Meier and Brad King, sandwiched around a single by Victor Rodriquez. Tony Alvarez banged a two-out, two run single up the middle to score Meier and Rodriquez and Rico Washington, just off the inactive list, followed with another two-run single to get King and Alvarez home.
Neither starting pitcher lasted long or was involved the decision. Justin Reid started for the Curve, going four and 2/3 allowing seven runs on 10 hits and Mike Paradis was on the mound for the Baysox for the first five innings yielding five runs on six hits. Curve relief however was near perfect with Larry Wimberly (1-2) notching two and 2/3 innings scattering five hits, to pick up the win and Neil McDade and Chris Spurling each tossing an inning of scoreless ball. Spurling picks up his 13th save to set the Altoona Curve record for a season.
After falling behind 7-5, Altoona’s Rodriquez singled and King belted a two-run homer. to tie the game at 7-7 in the sixth inning. Alvarez singled and moved to second on a Washington sacrifice bunt, then scored on a Kevin Sefcik basehit to take the lead permanently thanks to the shutout relief issued by the bullpen.
Alvarez and Rodriquez led the Curve with three hits each, while Sefcik, Shawn Garrett and Dan Meier had two each. Sefcik and Meier cracked doubles and King had a dinger, which as Curve announcer Rob Egan likes to call “went into the neighbor’s yard.”
Lock Haven grad Joe Caruso, recently signed by the Pirate organization and sent to the Double-A Curve, played shortstop on Friday night in front of the home crowd for the firt time. Caruso was hit by a pitch in the eighth inning, but went o-for four otherwise with four ground outs.
Doug Gredvig led Bowie with four singles in five trips to the plate. Keith Reed walked twice and singled twice.Wes Rachels had three basehits and Scott Hunter had a single and double and two RBIs.
Eric Dubose took the loss for the Baysox.
Tim Raines Jr. played center field and batted leadoff for Bowie going one-for four with a stolen base and one run scored.
The same two teams play at BCB this evening with lefty John Grabow (4-9 6.18 ERA) pitching for Altoona against Bowie’s right hander Juan Rosario (2-5, 5.21) with game time set for 7:05 p.m.
