Altoona Curve 10, Trenton Thunder 5
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Two big innings in the 6th and 7th helped the Curve come from behind to beat the Thunder, as the two teams combined for 25 hits. 1B Matt Curry had 3 of the Curve’s 12 hits, and RF Andrew Lambo drove in 3 runs.
Phillip Irwin struggle through his first three innings, allowing 5 runs (4 earned) on 6 hits. Trenton scored one run on three consecutive singles to open the bottom of the 1st. A single, a fielding error by 2B Brock Holt, and an RBI ground out added a run in the 2nd. A three-run homer following a single and a hit batter in the 3rd gave Trenton their 5 runs.
LF Quincy Latimore put the Curve onto the scoreboard in the 2nd inning with a lead-off solo home run. SS Josh Rodriguez singled in the 3rd, moved to second when Latimore was hit by a pitch, and scored on Curry’s RBI single in the 3rd inning. 3B Greg Picart pushed the score to 5-3 in the 4th. He walked, moved to second on a passed ball, tagged up and advanced to third on a fly out, then scored on Holt’s RBI single.
Irwin kept the Thunder scoreless in the 4th and 5th innings. He gave up a two-out single and walk in the 4th, but a line out ended the inning. The Thunder loaded the bases on three singles in the 5th. A grounder to third let Picart throw back to C Travis Scott for the force out at the plate for the second out of the inning, and another ground out ended the inning.
The top of the 6th was the first big inning for the Curve. Picart led off with a walk, and CF Starling Marte was hit by a pitch. Holt’s sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position, then a sacrifice fly by Rodriguez drove in Picart. A wild pitch moved Marte to third, where he could score the tying run easily on Lambo’s RBI single. A second wild pitch moved Lambo to second base. Latimore walked, then Curry reached on a fielding error, allowing Lambo to score. DH Brad Chalk doubled, driving in Latimore, and the Curve had a 7-5 lead. They came right back in the 7th inning to add 3 more runs. For the second inning in a row, Picart led off with a walk. A wild pitch advanced Picart to second, and Marte also walked. Holt bunted again, and again Picart and Marte were in scoring position. The instant replay continued with a sacrifice fly by Rodriguez, to score Picart. Then Lambo homered, bringing in Marte, and the Curve were up to a 10-5 lead.
Tim Alderson relieved Irwin to begin the 6th inning. Alderson allowed a single and a walk, but did not allow the run to score. Michael Dubee pitched 2 scoreless innings with a single in each and a hit batter in the 8th. Noah Krol pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 9th.
Greensboro Grasshoppers 12, West Virginia Power 5
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Zack Von Rosenberg could not get out of the 1st inning tonight, allowing 7 runs (5 earned) on 4 hits and a walk, complicated by 2 errors. The first three Grasshoppers’ batters reached base, on a hit batter, a single, and an RBI double. A sacrifice fly brought in the second run, and an RBI double added a third run. Another hit batter and a walk loaded the bases, and after a strikeout, an RBI single drove in two more runs. That was all for Von Rosenberg. He was relieved by Jhonathan Ramos. The first batter Ramos faced reached base on a fielding error by 1B Justin Howard, allowing another run to score. The runner on third base stole home, aided by a throwing error by SS Andy Vasquez, to give the ‘Hoppers a 7-0 lead.
The Power got 3 of the runs back in the bottom of the inning. Vasquez reached on a throwing error, then three consecutive doubles, by CF Mel Rojas, Howard, and LF Cole White brought in the runs. Howard collected 2 RBI and White got one.
Ramos went on to pitch 5 more scoreless innings. He gave up 3 hits and one walk, and struck out 4 batters. Victor Black also pitched a scoreless 7th inning. The Power were scoreless for 4 innings, and had only two base runners in those innings, when White was hit by a pitch in the 4th and 2B Kevin Mort singled in the 5th.
White doubled to start a rally in the bottom of the 6th. 3B Chase Lyles lined a single into left field, moving White to third base. DH Rogelios Noris was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Mort’s single up the middle pushed in both White and Lyles, moving the Power a little closer : 7-5.
The ‘Hoppers put the game out of reach with a 4-run 8th inning. A single, a walk, and a passed ball put two runners into scoring position. Two singles and a fielding error by RF Dan Grovatt drove in 2 runs. At that point, Black was relieved by Kevin Mort, who as best as I can tell had not pitched in his two years at University of Mississippi or last year with the GCL Pirates or State College. Mort gave up an RBI ground out, bringing in the third run of the inning. He struck out the next batter, then allowed another RBI single before ending the inning with a pop out. Mort also pitched the 9th inning. He gave up a lead-off homer, and had a batter reach on a throwing error, then retired the next three batters in order.
State College Spikes 4, Mahoning Valley Scrappers 3
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The Spikes won their 4th game of the season, but it took 12 innings to do it. DH Derek Trent singled in the bottom of the 12th, and was replaced with pinch-runner Alex Fuselier. With two outs, Fuselier was awarded second base on a balk. C Samuel Gonzalez grounded to second, where a fielding error let the ball go through, and Fuselier raced around from second to score the winning run.
Gonzalez singled to lead off the 2nd inning and scored on 1B Matt Skirving’s double, for the Spikes’ first run, ‘way back in the 2nd inning. A single, a throwing error, and an RBI double gave the Scrappers a run in the top of the 3rd to tie the score. The Spikes took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the 3rd on two homers (not back-to-back), by CF Justin Bencsko and Trent.
Stetson Allie made his third start for the Spikes, and this was the best of the three. He pitched 4 innings (the longest) and allowed one run on 5 hits, no walks, while striking out 5 batters. Allie gave up lone singles in the 1st and 2nd inning. He gave up the run in the 3rd, and another hit after the run scored. He also hit a batter in the 4th inning.
Vince Payne relieved Allie to start the 5th. He also gave up a run on a walk, a stolen base, and an RBI single. Payne retired the side in the 6th, then worked around two runners in the 7th, with a double and a hit batter. Joan Montero started the 8th inning on the mound, with a walk, a fly out, and a single. Montero was replaced by Rinku Singh
. Singh threw a wild pitch which moved the runners into scoring position, then retired the next two batters to end the inning.
Mitch Fienemann came on to pitch the top of the 9th. He gave up a walk and an RBI double, which tied the score at 3-3 and sent the game into extra innings. Fienemann pitched two scoreless innings in the 10th and the 11th. Emmanuel De Leon walked one batter in the top of the 12th, but did not allow a run to score.
After scoring in the 3rd, the Spikes had a whole lot of scoreless innings. They put runners on base in all but one of those innings, but could not bring them around to score. Both Skirving and RF Carlos Mesa singled in the 4th. 3B Chris Lashmet singled in both the 6th and the 8th. CF Taylor Lewis tripled in the bottom of the 9th, but he was out at the plate when he tried to tag up and score on a fly out. Finally, in the top of the 12th, Trent’s single and the fielding error gave the Spikes the win.
