EL1 Altoona Curve

Senators Sweep Curve In Saturday Twin Bill

Published on June 18, 2011 under Eastern League (EL1)
Altoona Curve News Release


CURVE, Pa. - The -Harrisburg Senators have won the first three games of their series against the Altoona Curve at Blair County Ballpark as they swept the Curve in a Saturday doubleheader by the scores of 6-3 and 4-3. The two games were played in front of 6,015 fans, the second most at a Curve home game season.

In game one, the Curve got a heavy dose of starter Brad Peacock, one of the league's best pitchers, as he was able to hurl a complete game effort and allow only three runs.

Peacock (8-2), the league leader in strikeouts, fanned seven in seven innings and after a leadoff home run hit by Starling Marte, the first for the Curve this season, he recorded 12 batters out in a row. Peacock allowed only four hits in the victory.

The Curve led 1-0 after the first inning, but lead was short-lived. Starter Jeff Locke pitched a scoreless first inning, but then allowed a run to tie the game in the second and three more in the third. Locke (5-6) would only go three innings in the game as he allowed four runs, three earned, on four hits with three walks and two strikeouts. He was relieved in the fourth with two scoreless from Diego Moreno who exited the game after the fifth, down 4-1.

In the sixth, Matt McSwain came on to pitch and he allowed a solo home run to Archie Gilbert to make it a 5-1 game. McSwain would end up going two innings, allowing two runs on four hits.

Down four, the Curve made a comeback in the sixth as Brock Holt led the inning off with a double, followed by a triple by Marte and a sacrifice fly by Jordy Mercer to cut the Senators lead to 5-3. However, the Senators pushed one more run across and the Curve had no further response as they lost game one 6-3.

The Curve opened game two in a similar fashion as game one as both Marte and Holt reached to lead off the game and Mercer blasted his 13th home run of the season over the wall in left to give the Curve a 3-0 advantage off starter Carlos Martinez. The runs, though, would be all Altoona would get as Martinez hurled three scoreless after his first inning, Rafael Martin (1-0) two more scoreless and Zech Zinicola a clean seventh to pick up his fourth save of the season.

After a clean start, Curve starter Aaron Thompson allowed two runs in the second, one on a solo home run by Alex Valdez, and two more in the fourth as the Senators would take the lead for good, ending the scoring in the game. Thompson went four and allowed four runs, three earned, on five hits with four strikeouts. Anthony Claggett worked the final three innings in relief without allowing a hit.

Mercer, with four RBI on the day, is now the league leader in that category with 48 and he extended his streak to eight straight games with an RBI. Marte had two hits in each game and went 4-for-6 on the day after going hitless in his two games previous to Saturday.

Altoona (33-35) and Harrisburg (39-28) will meet in the final game of their four-game series on Sunday night from BCB. The Senators will be looking for the series sweep.

Sunday brings a special gift for dad on Father's Day as the homestand concludes at 6 p.m. with another giveaway. A brand new gas grill from Fiore True Value will be given away to one special dad on Father's Day during the game with the Senators. After the game, all fans will be treated to a spectacular postgame fireworks show courtesy of Panera Bread as the summertime tradition of Sunday Night Fireworks continues in Curve, Pa. After the game, kids will get to run the bases and fans will be permitted on the field pregame from 5 p.m. to 5:25 p.m. to have a catch, so be sure to remember a glove.

The Curve have yet to announce a starter for Sunday, however, RHP Erik Arnesen (3-0, 2.78) will start for Harrisburg. Gates open up at 5 p.m. and air time on ESPN Radio 1430, WVAM and the Curve Radio Network is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

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Eastern League Stories from June 18, 2011


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