EL1 Altoona Curve

Curve Fall in Front of Season-Best Crowd on Independence Day

Published on July 4, 2011 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release


CURVE, Pa. - T.J. McFarland (5-4) and the Akron Aeros spoiled the first game of an eight-game homestand for the Altoona Curve as the Aeros took the opener, 7-1, in front of a season-best 7,920 fans on Independence Day at Blair County Ballpark.

LHP Joe Beimel actually started the game for Altoona as he was assigned to Altoona today on a Major League Rehab Assignment. Beimel pitched his scheduled one inning and allowed one hit before giving way to scheduled starter Jeff Locke (5-8) in the second.

Locke gave up the game's first run in the second as a one-out walk to Raul Padron came back to hurt the left hander. With Padron on at third and Michel Hernandez at first, Ben Copeland hit a laser line drive to left field that Quincy Latimore tracked down. It would go down as a sacrifice fly as Padron scored and Akron had the lead, 1-0.

The North Conway N.H. settled in through the third and fourth innings, recording one-two-three innings in each, but ran into trouble in the fifth. A leadoff double by Hernandez and a single by Copeland brought home Akron's second run of the game to make it, 2-0. With two away in the inning, Juan Diaz singled through the left side to bring Copeland in and Akron led, 3-0.

The Aeros scored four more times in the sixth off Locke as they sent eight men to the plate. Locke completed five innings and allowed seven runs (six earned) on nine hits while fanning seven.

Altoona scored its only run of the game in the seventh when Jose Hernandez singled in Matt Curry with two down off McFarland. Akron's starter McFarland lasted seven innings and gave up just one unearned run on five hits while walking two and striking out five.

Hits with runner s in scoring position once again eluded Altoona at home as they went 1-for-7 with RISP and stranded six men on the bases. The Curve had the leadoff man on in three different innings but did not score.

Altoona (36-46) and Akron (42-42) will meet in the second game of the series at 7 p.m. on Tuesday night at Blair County Ballpark. Tuesday night will be a Two-for-Tuesday at BCB where fans can get two tickets, two hot dogs and two small popcorns all for the price of one thanks to Atlantic Broadband and KRAFT Singles.

RHP Aaron Pribanic (5-6, 4.08) will look to rebound from a tough start in Trenton last time out for Altoona as he'll take the hill on Tuesday night. The Aeros counter with LHP Kelvin de la Cruz (4-6, 4.62) in the second game of the series.

Gates at Blair County Ballpark open at 6 p.m. while the airtime on ESPN Radio 1430, WVAM and the Curve Radio Network is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

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Eastern League Stories from July 4, 2011


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