EL1 Altoona Curve

Curve sweep doubleheader

Published on June 2, 2007 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release


ALTOONA- Game One: Kip Bouknight beat the winningest-pitcher in Curve history, Landon Jacobsen, going the distance in a 4-1 Altoona win in game one.

Bouknight (5-2) allowed just one earned run on six hits to earn his fifth victory of the season.

Reading did strike first in the ballgame, plating their lone run in the second inning. Randy Ruiz continued to terrorize his former team by leading off with a double to right field. Ruiz advanced to third on a ground-out by Greg Jacobs and scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by Juan Tejeda as the R-Phils took a 1-0 lead.

The Curve tied the ballgame in the third inning. Brandon Chaves led off the inning with a base hit, stole second and was sacrificed to third by Bouknight. He scored from there to tie the game, 1-1, on a ground-out from Jason Bowers.

The game remained in a 1-1 tie until the sixth inning when the Curve broke through against Jacobsen with two outs. Alex Fernandez started the rally with a single and scored on an eventual game-winning double from Steven Pearce. Neil Walker followed Pearce's double with a single back up the middle and the Curve led 3-1. Following a walk to Adam Boeve, Brian Peterson capped the scoring with a single that scored Walker.

Jacobsen (5-3) went the distance for the R-Phils and took the loss.

Game Two: Played in stark contrast to game one, the Curve again stormed from behind to erase a 4-0 Reading lead and win game two, 6-5.

Like in Friday's series opener, the Curve comeback was fueled by a four-run inning. Trailing 4-0 in the fourth inning, Andrew McCutchen led off with a single. Alex Fernandez followed with a single to put two aboard for Steven Pearce. Pearce, the hero of game one, again responded, this time with a ringing-double off the wall in left-center field scoring both runners to cut the lead to 4-2. Following an Adam Boeve strikeout, Brian Peterson singled and Taber Lee walked to load the bases. The R-Phils went to the bullpen for J.J. Trujillo and the Curve went to the bench for Brett Roneberg who hadn't appeared due to injury since May 22nd. Roneberg cracked a single through the right side of the Reading infield to score both Pearce and Peterson and the game was tied, 4-4.

Reading went back ahead with a lone run in the top of the fifth inning on a Chris Coste single that scored Brian Burgamy.

Altoona again had the answer in the bottom of the inning. Trujillo stayed in the game and with two outs gave up back-to-back singles to Fernandez and Pearce. Boeve followed with a double to score Fernandez and tie the game, 5-5. Trujillo intentionally walked Brian Peterson and departed the ballgame. Left-hander Chris Key came on and got the second out of the inning, but Taber Lee followed with the game-winning single through the hole on the right side of the infield for a score of 6-5.

Matt Peterson worked a scoreless two innings in the sixth and seventh to earn his ninth save of the season.

Reading had built their lead with four earned runs off of Curve starter Alay Soler, including a controversial solo homerun to left field in the second inning. Curve Manager Tim Leiper was ejected on the play, contending that the home run was a foul-ball.

Justin Vaclavik (2-4) was in the ballgame as the Curve overtook the R-Phils and earned his second win of the season.

Trujillo (0-1) was hit with the loss for Reading.

The Curve will look for the series sweep in the series-finale Sunday night at 6:05 PM. LHP Josh Shortslef (0-6, 3.81) will start for the Curve. The Phillies starter is TBA.

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Eastern League Stories from June 2, 2007


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