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Altoona Curve

Erie Nips Curve in Finale, 1-0

May 3, 2012 - Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release


ERIE, Pa. - A well-pitched game on both sides unfortunately ended up going in favor of the Erie SeaWolves as they scratched out a run in the last of the eighth inning to defeat the Curve, 1-0, in the series finale at Jerry Uht Park on Thursday. James Avery (4-1) tossed a nine-inning, complete-game shutout for Erie and struck out eight Curve batters in the process.

Vic Black (0-1) entered the game for the Curve in the eighth after Kris Johnson and Jhonathan Ramos had kept the 'Wolves at bay for the first seven innings. Niuman Romero, who entered the day with the second-most hits in the Eastern League, found his first hit of the game to lead off the eighth as he doubled. Brandon Douglas followed Romero's double with a single that moved the leadoff man to third and placed runners at the corners with no one out.

Ben Guez was the culprit that broke the deadlock as his broken-bat single to right scored Romero from third and Erie had the game's first and only run.

The Curve threatened in the ninth as Brock Holt reached when he beat out an infield single on a bang-bang play at first. Jeremy Farrell, who extended his hitting streak to five games earlier in the day, hit into a fielder's choice that saw Holt retired at second. After Greg Picart replaced Farrell as a pinch runner, Matt Curry worked a walk off Avery to put the go-ahead run on. Ramon Cabrera subsequently flew out to end the threat and the ballgame.

Johnson, who was making his second start of the year for Altoona (third overall of the season), tossed five scoreless innings while striking out four in his no decision. He set down six Erie batters in a row from the second and into the fifth before a two-out single by John Murrian. He handed things over to Ramos for the sixth and seventh innings.

Ramos pitched a perfect sixth but ran into a bit of trouble in the seventh as Erie had two on with two down. Jamie Johnson singled back through the middle and Tony Plagman tried to score from second base on the play but Robbie Grossman had other ideas, throwing him out at the plate with a strike from dead center.

The Curve did have some chances to score in the game and nearly had the game's first run in the first. Holt doubled with one down and moved to third on a Farrell single. Farrell then took off for second during Curry's at bat while Holt broke for home. Erie's catcher Murrian threw down to second but did a good job blocking off the plate as the return throw came in time to retire Holt and the Curve in the first.

The shutout loss is the fourth of the season for Altoona and it's also the fourth complete game that has been thrown against the Curve this season. Of the four complete games, only two of them have been nine-inning complete games.

After a split in Erie, the Curve (10-15) return home Friday at 6:30 p.m. to open up a series with the Richmond Flying Squirrels, Double-A affiliates of the San Francisco Giants. It'll be a Freebie Friday in Curve, Pa. on Friday with the first 1,000 fans receiving a Starling Marte Canvas Painting Giveaway thanks to Holiday Inn Express. Friday also serves as another T.G.I. Friday's Mug Club Night with 250 lucky fans (21+) grabbing a Mug Club Mug as they exit Peoples Natural Gas Field.

Fans can then head over to T.G.I. Friday's on Plank Road after the game to meet up with a pair of Curve players at the Extra Innings Party. Kids can run the bases after the game on Friday night as well.

On the hill for the hometown Curve will be Mike Colla (0-3, 4.01), who is searching for his first win of the 2012 campaign. Richmond will counter with LHP Jason Stevenson (1-4, 6.92) in the lid lifter on Friday night. Gates for the series-opening game will swing open at 5:30 p.m. while airtime on ESPN Radio 1430, WVAM and the Curve Radio Network is scheduled for 6 p.m.

For more information on the upcoming homestand in Curve, Pa., call 877.99.CURVE, visit www.AltoonaCurve.com or stop by the box office windows at Peoples Natural Gas Field.

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