EL1 Altoona Curve

Home Runs and No-Hitter Split Curve-Thunder Double-Header

Published on August 1, 2019 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release


TRENTON, N.J. - Brian Keller twirled a seven-inning no-hitter in a 2-0 Trenton Thunder win before two homers fueled a 4-2 win in game two for the Altoona Curve at ARM & HAMMER Park on Thursday.

The Curve (55-54, 19-22) end the season series with the Thunder (58-51, 20-23) with three wins to six losses.

Game 1

Win: Brian Keller (3-1)

Loss: Pedro Vasquez (6-3)

Save: --

TOG: 1:27

Keller (Win, 3-1) retired each of his last 17 hitters from the second inning though a strikeout of Logan Hill to complete the eighth no-hitter in the Eastern League this season. He struck out six total and Hill was the only blemish on his pitching line when he issued a lead-off walk in the second. Keller completed all seven innings on just 70 pitches, 53 for strikes.

Pedro Vasquez (Loss, 6-3) went the distance for the Curve and was handed the tough-luck loss. Over six innings, he held Trenton to five hits and threw 95 pitches. It was his eighth quality start of the season.

Trenton got on the board with single runs in the second and third. Brandon Wagner doubled to start the second, moved to third on a slow-rolling, infield single by Matt Lipka and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Brian Navarreto. In the third, Rashad Crawford hit a fly ball to shallow left field that dropped between third baseman Brett Pope and left fielder Chris Sharpe. Crawford made the Curve pay with a steal of second and scored on Ben Ruta's two-out double down the right field line.

With the game finishing in 1:27, it was one minute longer than the shortest seven-inning game in Curve history, which occurred on July 17, 2015 at Richmond.

Game 2

Win: Beau Sulser (8-1)

Loss: Shawn Semple (0-2)

Save: Matt Eckelman (20)

TOG: 1:58

Attendance: 5,231

Two big swings by Hill and Darnell Sweeney pair with more strong pitching lifted the Curve to a 4-2 win in the second game.

Chris Gittens doubled home two runs in the first with a liner to right-center field. Ben Ruta singled and Beau Sulser (Win, 8-1) walked Hoy Jun Park to set up the two-run play for the Thunder.

The Curve answered the early deficit with two homers. Hill led off the second with a solo blast to right off Shawn Semple (Loss, 0-2) and broke a string of eight hitless innings by the Thunder. Altoona took a 3-2 lead during the next inning when Sweeney smoked a two-run homer to right, his first as a member of the Curve. Sweeney's homer brought in Pope, who led off the third with a single. Pope knocked home an insurance run in the seventh with a two-out single to right-center.

Sulser matched a career-high five innings and threw 90 pitches, the most in his pro career. He held the Thunder to three hits, walked two, retired 10 straight between the second and fifth innings with four strikeouts.

Blake Cederlind fired a scoreless sixth frame, working around a pair of single with a double play ball and a strikeout to end the inning. Matt Eckelman (Save, 20) locked down a 1-2-3 seventh to become the third Eastern League pitcher to reach 20 saves this season.

For Trenton, Semple threw another complete game, striking out eight hitters with seven hits allowed.

The road trip moves to Reading on Friday with a 7:10 p.m. first pitch from FirstEnergy Stadium. Left-hander Sean Brady (3-9, 4.85) will start for the Curve against right-hander Spencer Howard (0-0, 1.93) for the R-Phils.

The Curve return to Altoona on Monday for a seven-game homestand against the Richmond Flying Squirrels and Reading Fightin Phils. For tickets or more information about upcoming promotions, 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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Eastern League Stories from August 1, 2019


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