Reading Phillies �7, �Altoona Curve �4 (box)
Thirteen hits by the Curve were not enough, and even though the Curve pitchers held the R-Phils to 7 hits, two late-inning home runs gave the R-Phils the edge.
The Curve scored early, with 2 runs in the 1st and the 3rd innings. �SS Chase d’Arnaud and CF Gorkys Hernandez began the game with two singles, and 2B Josh Harrison bunted them over to second and third bases. �1B Matt Hague’s single drove in both d’Arnaud and Hernandez to give the Curve a 2-0 lead. �In the 3rd, back-to-back doubles by Hague and 3B Jordy Mercer brought in one run. �Mercer moved to third base on Gimenez’s grounder, then scored on a wild pitch.
Starter Bryan Morris gave up an unearned run in the 2nd inning. �The first batter of the inning reached base on a fielding error by Hague at first base, and a sacrifice bunt moved him to second base. �A passed ball moved the runner to third, and he scored on a squeeze bunt. �Another run scored in the 4th inning, this one earned, on two singles and a fielding error (followed by another single, which is why it was earned).
The Curve were leading 4-2 going into the bottom of the 5th, when the bottom fell out on Morris. �A single by former Pirates’ farmhand Rich Thompson and a walk were followed by a 3-run homer, giving the R-Phils a 5-4 lead. �Morris pitched 6 innings, and gave up 5 runs (4 earned) on 6 hits and 3 walks, while striking out 8 batters. �Morris also contributed a double in the 2nd inning.
Jeff Sues took the mound for the 7th inning. �He hit the batter who had homered earlier with a pitch, then gave up a 2-run homer, pushing the R-Phils lead to 7-4.
After their runs in the 3rd, the Curve batters had runners on base in all but two of the remaining innings, but could not bring any of them around to score. �They had a runner reach third base in the 4th, when Harrison walked and Hague doubled, moving Harrison to third. �A pop out and a fly out ended the inning with both runners still on base. �In the 5th, LF Brandon Jones led off with a single, and advanced to second base on a ground out by Morris. �D’Arnaud singled into left field, and Jones raced around third and headed for the plate — but was thrown out at the plate.
Matt Hague went 3-for-4 with two doubles and 2 RBI. �Mercer and Morris had the other two Curve doubles in the game.
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State College Spikes �8, �Williamsburg Crosscutters �2 (box)
The score was tied at 2-2 when the Spikes posted a 5-run 7th inning to give Casey Sadler the win in his professional debut. �Zach Von Rosenberg made the start and pitched 4 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and a walk, while striking out 4 batters. �Williamsburg scored their first run in the 1st inning, on a double and two singles. �Von Rosenberg retired the next 7 batters he faced, while his teammate LF Adalberto Santos tied the game with a solo home run to lead off the 4th inning.
Williamsport took the lead again in the bottom of the 4th, on a walk, a single, a sacrifice bunt, and an RBI ground out. �The Spikes tied the score again in the next inning, when 3B Chase Lyles doubled, then scored on a throwing error.
Then the Spikes scored 5 runs after recording 2 outs in the top of the 7th. �C Miguel Mendez singled, and both CF Kyle Saukko and SS Gift Ngoepe walked to load the bases. �2B Walker Gourley singled, and when the Williamsburg right fielder made a throwing error, Mendez, Saukko, and Ngoepe all came in to score. �Santos singled, bringing in Gourley. �1B Matt Curry, also making his pro debut, doubled to plate Santos with the 5th run of the inning. �The Spikes added one more run in the top of the 9th for good measure. �Ngoepe doubled and scored on Santos’ single.
Casey Sadler relieved Von Rosenberg to begin the 5th inning. �He pitched 2 scoreless innings and allowed 3 singles, with 2 strikeouts. �Zach Fuesser earned his first save with 3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk, with 4 strikeouts.
Santos went 3-for-5 in the game, with a homer and 3 RBI. �Matt Curry went 2-for-5 in his first game, including hitting a single on the first pitch he saw in his pro career.
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Charlotte Stone Crabs �6, �Bradenton Marauders �1 (box)
The Marauders were held to 5 hits and one run, while the Stone Crabs scored two runs in each of three different innings. �Bradenton recorded a hit in each of the first three innings — singles by CF Robbie Grossman, 1B Calvin Anderson, and 2B Jose De Los Santos. Their only run was scored in the 4th inning, when LF Quincy Latimore led off with a double and was driven in by RF Austin McClune’s RBI single. �The Marauders had only two base runners after that run scored, when DH Adenson Chourio walked and stole second base in the 5th, and McClure walked in the 6th. �The last 10 Marauders all were retired in order.
Nate Adcock pitched into the 6th inning. �He gave up 6 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks, with 3 strikeouts. �The first pair of runs were scored in the 1st inning on two singles and a 2-RBI double. �A walk and two more doubles brought in the second pair of runs in the 4th. �Adcock began the 6th inning with a walk and a single, then a sacrifice fly which brought in one run. �Another single drove in Charlotte’s 6th run, and sent Adcock to the showers. �Matt McSwain relieved Adcock and finished the 6th inning with two ground outs. �McSwain allowed only one single over the next two innings, to finish the game.
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Delmarva Shorebirds �7, �West Virginia Power �5 (box)
A 4-run second inning gave Delmarva the start they needed to get past the Power. �Brandon Holden gave up the 4 runs on two walks, a throwing error on Holden’s pick-off attempt, a double and three singles.
The Power got one run back in the bottom of the inning, when 3B Jesus Brito tripled and scored on C Pat Irvine’s RBI ground out. �The Shorebirds returned the favor in the next inning, with their own triple plus an RBI single. �1B Aaron Baker blasted a 2-run homer following 2B Jarek Cunningham’s double in the 3rd inning, to move the Power a little closer, at 5-3. �Holden pitched 4 innings and allowed those 5 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks, but he struck out 7 batters.
Both teams had quiet 4th and 5th innings, and both sides scored 2 runs in the 6th. �The Shorebirds had a double, a hit batter, and a triple off reliever Gabriel Alvarado. The Power kept the Shorebirds from adding another run, when Cunningham made a fielder’s choice play and threw out the runner who had tripled at the plate. �Two more walks loaded the bases, and Alvarado was relieved by Ryan Kelly. Kelly got a ground out to end the inning. �Kelly went on to pitch 3 more innings, allowing only a single and a walk in the 8th.
The Power scored their two runs in the 6th on a walk by Brito and back-to-back doubles by SS Benji Gonzalez and CF Evan Chambers. Pat Irvine also had a double, in the 3rd inning. �Chambers, Baker, and Gonzalez each had 2 hits in the game.
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