Curve Bats Silenced As Erie Sweeps Doubleheader
June 21, 2007 - Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release
ERIE- Game One: Nate Robertson, making a Major Leage rehab start for Erie, no-hit the Curve for six innings as the SeaWolves routed Altoona, 12-3, in game one of an afternoon doubleheader.
Robertson appeared to be fully recovered from a tired shoulder that had landed him on the Tiger's Disabled List. Robertson (1-0) walked one and struck out six to earn the win for Erie.
Robertson left due to a pitch count after the sixth, and releiver Danny Zell attempted to complete the no-hitter. Zell recorded the first two outs of the inning and was one out away from finishing the third no-hitter thrown against the Curve in their history, before Steven Pearce broke up the bid with a double to the left field corner. That double opened the door for Altoona to break up the shutout bid as well, which they did as Neil Walker singled in Pearce. Adam Boeve followed with his 10th home run of the season to cap the scoring at 12-3.
Curve starter Kip Bouknight was hit hard in his attempt at tying for the league lead in wins. The right-hander was touched up for two runs in the bottom of the first inning as Erie built a 2-0 lead.
Boukknight (7-3), who took the loss for the Curve, was chased from the ballgame in the third. Pedro Cotto singled to start the inning. Clete Thomas then followed with a single to put runners at the corners with nobody out. Andres Torres singled to score Cotto and Mike Holliman followed with a run-scoring double to make it 4-0. Matt Joyce singled to score Torres and the lead was five. Erick Almonte followed with an RBI single and Bouknight was removed from the ballgame in favor of Alay Soler. Soler recorded the first two outs of the inning before permitting a single to Steve Torrealba which scored Joyce to cap the rally and give the SeaWolves a 7-0 advantage.
Soler ran into problems of his own in the fifth inning, allowing five runs to Erie to run the SeaWolves lead to 12-0. Two of those runs were unearned due to a fielding error charged to Curve shortstop Brandon Chaves.
All but one member of Erie's starting lineup, Kody Kirkland, scored a run in the SeaWolves win.
Had the Curve been unable to break up the ho-hit bid, it would have been the third time the team had been no-hit in franchise history. The Bowie Baysox turned in both no-hitters against the Curve. Both were staff efforts, the first in 2000 and the latest in 2004.
Game Two: Eastern League wins leader Dallas Trahern nearly replicated Robertson's game one feat, as the SeaWolves cruised behind their ace to a 2-1 win.
Trahern (9-3) went the distance for the win, allowing just five hits and never facing adversity until the seventh inning.
The Curve totaled just two hits against Trahern through six innings as they fell behind 2-0. Andrew McCutchen attempted to spark the Curve offense with a one-out single in the seventh. McCutchen scored a batter later when Jason Bowers doubled to center field. Brandon Chaves followed with a single, but Bowers was cut down at the plate by Matt Joyce to end the ballgame.
Justin Vaclavik made the start and held the SeaWolves scoreless through the first two innings.
Erie got to the right-hander in the third as Clete Thomas led off the inning with a double. Thomas scored the game's first run as Mike Holliman doubled a batter later. Vaclavik walked Jeff Larish and was removed from the game in favor of Wardell Starling.
Starling permitted the eventual winning run in the fourth. Nick McIntyre led off the inning with a single and stole second base. He scored from there on a Thomas single to put the SeaWolves in front, 2-0.
Vaclavik (2-5) took the loss in his first start of the season.
The Curve continue their road trip on Friday against the Phillies in Reading. Game one is scheduled for a 7:05 PM start. RHP Luis Munoz (6-4, 3.84) will make the start for Altoona against RHP Patrick Overholt (0-1, 9.00) for Reading.
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