EL1 Altoona Curve

Saved by the Bell: Bell Smashes Three-Run, Walk-Off Homer on Saturday

Published on May 2, 2015 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release


CURVE, Pa. - Josh Bell picked a perfect time to hit his first Double-A home run as he rocketed the first pitch he saw into Altoona night sky over the wall in right field for a three-run, walk-off homer to lift the Curve to a win, 5-3, on Saturday night in front of 5,185 fans at Peoples Natural Gas Field. In the two games of this series, Bell has driven in all of the team's seven runs.

The Curve were put in an early hole as Erie scored twice off Angel Sanchez in the first inning as eight men came to the plate. Altoona's bats went right to work in the bottom of the inning with Bell bringing home Keon Broxton with an RBI groundout.

In the third, Bell plated Broxton again with a sacrifice fly and the game was tied at two. To that point, Bell had driven in Broxton for each of the first four runs scored by the Curve in the series.

Erie jumped back ahead in the fourth off Sanchez on a bunt by Harold Castro. It was the third straight weakly hit ball that had come back to the Curve starter and he'd made successful throws to first of the first two. This time, however, Sanchez's throw went down the right field line and Brendan Harris scored the go-ahead run.

That's where the game stayed until the ninth thanks in large part to a tremendous effort by the bullpen. Josh Smith came in in the fifth inning with the bases loaded and one out in relief of Sanchez. He got Wade Gaynor to hit into the 6-4-3 double play. Smith went on to toss 3.1 innings of scoreless ball before giving way to Collin Balester. Balester worked 1.1 scoreless innings to eventually pick up the win.

In the ninth, Gift Ngoepe and Broxton both worked one-out walks to put the tying and winning runs on. Max Moroff, who had three hits on the day to run his on-base streak to 18 games, hammered a ball to right that looked like it might fly out for a walk-off winner. It instead landed in the glove of right fielder Jeff McVaney for a second out. With first base still open, Erie elected to pitch to Bell and he made them pay.

The Curve (14-6) will try to once again sweep the SeaWolves (6-15), who have lost 11-straight games, with a win in the 1 p.m. series finale on Sunday. We'll have a Youth Clinic taught by Curve players for youngsters that is FREE with the purchase of a ticket to Sunday afternoon's game. The clinic will run from 10 a.m. to noon with registration at 9 a.m. After the game, kids will be able to run the bases.

On the mound for the Curve hoping to lead them to the sweep will be RHP Jason Creasy (2-0, 2.14), who's coming off a win his last time out in Akron. He'll face SeaWolves' LHP Josh Turley (2-1, 2.12) on Sunday.

Airtime on ESPN Radio 1430, WVAM is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. For tickets and more information, visit AltoonaCurve.com, call 877.99.CURVE or visit the box office at PNG Field.

Check out the Altoona Curve Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Eastern League Stories from May 2, 2015


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central