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Curve outlast SeaWolves, weather for extra-inning win

Martin's 11th-inning triple holds up in chilly Saturday showdown
Altoona Curve outfielder Jason Martin (Rob Lynn/Altoona Curve)
April 14, 2018

ERIE, Pa. - Jason Martin hit a go-ahead triple in the 11th inning and scored later in the frame as the Altoona Curve held off the Erie SeaWolves, 5-4, in 11 innings on Saturday afternoon at UPMC Park.

ERIE, Pa. - Jason Martin hit a go-ahead triple in the 11th inning and scored later in the frame as the Altoona Curve held off the Erie SeaWolves, 5-4, in 11 innings on Saturday afternoon at UPMC Park.

The Curve (6-2) are off to their best start since 2010 and have matched their second-best record through eight games in franchise history (1999, 2000 and 2006). The SeaWolves (3-6) have lost six consecutive games.
With temperatures in the low-30s, winds reaching above 30 mph and rain falling late in the game, both teams allowed two runs through the first nine innings.
Playing their first extra-inning game with MiLB's new pace of play rules placing a runner on second base to start each extra frame, the Curve took a 3-2 lead in the top of the tenth when Cole Tucker scored on a wild pitch by Erie's John Schreiber.
Erie evened the score in the bottom of the tenth with a two-out RBI single by Arvicent Perez.
Logan Hill was placed on second base to open the top of the 11th advanced to third on a wild pitch by Mark Ecker (Loss, 0-2). Martin followed with a go-ahead triple and then came in to score on a single by Ke'Bryan Hayes to extend the Altoona lead to 5-3.
With two outs in the bottom of the 11th, Kenny Wilson drove an RBI single to close the gap to 5-4, but Sam Street (Save, 1) worked a flyout from Jason Robson to strand runners on first and second.
Geoff Hartlieb (Win, 1-0) pitched two innings and allowed one unearned run on one hit with four strikeouts to pick up the first Double-A win of his career.
Erie scored first in the second inning. Wilson reached on a fielding error by Tucker at shortstop and later scored on a two-out single by A.J. Simcox.
That run was the only blemish against Curve starter Brandon Waddell, who pitched six innings and allowed two hits with no walks and six strikeouts, lowering his season ERA to 0.77 through two starts.
The Curve evened the score in the fifth. Wyatt Mathisen started the frame with a double and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Will Craig.
Altoona broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh inning with an RBI single by Pablo Reyes to plate Christian Kelley , but Erie answered in the bottom of the inning with a two-out, RBI single by Perez to knot the score at 2-2.
Erie starter Kyle Funkhouser struck out seven over 4.1 innings and allowed one run on two hits with five walks.
Logan Sendelbach pitched the seventh and eighth for Altoona and allowed one run on three hits with no walks and three strikeouts.
Erie's Dominic Ficociello went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts, snapping his league-leading on-base streak at 26 games. The longest active streak in the league now belongs to Tucker, who extended his mark to 24 games dating back to August 19, 2017 after going 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and a run scored.
Martin finished the day 2-for-5 with a triple, an RBI and a run scored. Hayes went 2-for-5 with an RBI.
The Curve and SeaWolves conclude the three-game series on Sunday afternoon at UPMC Park. Right-hander Mitch Keller (1-0, 0.00) will start for Altoona, opposed by Erie lefty Tyler Alexander (0-0, 3.18). First pitch is scheduled for 1:35 p.m.
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