Curve Need Extras for Sunday Afternoon Victory
May 23, 2021 - Eastern League (EL)
Altoona Curve News Release
HARRISBURG, PA - Despite carrying a combined no-hitter into the seventh inning, the Altoona Curve needed 11 innings to lock down a 5-4 win over the Harrisburg Senators on Sunday afternoon at FNB Field. With the victory, the Curve completed their 12-game road trip to Binghamton and Harrisburg with a 9-3 record.
After each team was held scoreless in the tenth, Daniel Amaral drove in the placed runner, Deon Stafford, with a double to left center with two out in the 11th inning taking the lead for the Curve. Oneil Cruz followed with a blazing groundball single past the second baseman to score Amaral and Yerry De Los Santos spun three straight groundball outs in the bottom half of the inning to secure the win.
The Curve got another solid start from right-hander Jeff Passantino on Sunday afternoon. Working through sweltering heat, Passantino worked around an error and hit batsman in the second to settle in and retire 11 straight batters to finish his outing. Across five no-hit innings, he allowed one walk and struck out three on 69 pitches, 47 strikes.
Passantino and the Curve pitching staff got additional run support in the fifth thanks to Deon Stafford. With two outs, Cal Mitchell singled and Stafford drilled a 3-1 offering off the batter's eye in centerfield to take a 3-0 lead for Altoona. Stafford, a native of Harrisburg, PA, went 1-for-4 with two runs scored on Sunday.
Will Gardner retired the side in order in the sixth inning to extend the no-hit bid, however, Harrisburg catcher Jackson Reetz broke up the bid with a solid single to left field to start the seventh inning. With Oddy Nunez on the mound in the seventh, Drew Mendoza was then hit by a pitch and KJ Harrison slammed a game-tying three-run home run to bring the Senators even.
Neither team could break through for a run after the Harrison homer in the seventh sending the Curve to extras for the fourth time this season. Sunday's victory marked the first game that went longer than 10 innings for Altoona, and they improved to 4-0 in extra-inning games this season.
The Curve will have Monday off and return to action on Tuesday night at Peoples Natural Gas Field at 6:00 p.m. to begin a six-game set with the Erie SeaWolves. RHP Roansy Contreras (0-0, 0.00) will make his fourth start of the season, Erie will start RHP Pedro Payano (1-1, 4.50).
Friday May 28th is a Free Shirt Friday to the first 1,000 fans, presented by James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center. There will also be post-game fireworks on Saturday May 29th, presented by Furrer Beverage and M&T Bank, and Sunday May 30th, presented By Super 8, Blair Candy, Penn Highlands Healthcare and Furrer Beverage.
For tickets or more information about Curve Baseball, visit AltoonaCurve.com, call 877.99.CURVE or stop by the PNG Field box office. Additionally, the Stockyard Team Store is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., during every home game and online 24/7/365.
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