Eight shutout innings from its starter and a clutch two-out hit in the top of the ninth weren’t enough Wednesday for the Altoona Curve.
Virgil Chevalier turned a 1-0 deficit into a dramatic 2-1 win for Binghamton with a two-run homer off Curve closer Chris Spurling in the bottom of ninth. The walk-off win before 3,168 at NYSEG Stadium was the fourth in a row for Binghamton (48-46). The heart-breaking defeat was the third in a row and eighth in nine games for struggling Altoona (46-48).
Esix Snead led off the decisive bottom of the ninth with an infield single. Chevalier followed by smacking a 1-1 pitch from Spurling (4-2) well over the barrier in left to win the game.
The Curve had taken a 1-0 lead with some drama of its own in the top of the ninth. Shaun Skrehot doubled to open the inning and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Kevin Sefcik.
B-Mets’ reliever Phil Seibel (6-6) fanned Shawn Garrett on three pitches for the second out, but then fell behind Joe Caruso, 2-0. Caruso, who just joined the Curve Tuesday, singled up the middle to score Skrehot.
Spurling was summoned to try to save the win for Curve starter Adrian Burnside. The left-hander shutout Binghamton on just three hits over eight innings. Burnside walked only one and fanned six to run his season strikeout total to 102–second most in the Eastern League.
Skrehot led the Curve’s nine-hit output with two safeties. Sefcik was one of seven Curve players with one hit apiece. His fourth-inning single extended his hitting streak to 12 games and his on-base string to 17.
The Curve will attempt to salvage the final game of the series Thursday at 7 p.m. Lefty Brian O’Connor (1-5, 4.76) will square off with B-Mets’ right-hander Joey Cole (0-0, 2.84).
