Waddell, Sulser combine for shutout of SeaWolves

CURVE, Pa. -- Brandon Waddell and Beau Sulser combined for the Altoona Curve's eighth shutout win of the season in a 3-0 decision over the Erie SeaWolves on Friday at Peoples Natural Gas Field. The Curve (46-38, 11-6) are a season-high eight games over .500 and have won six of seven.
Waddell (Win, 1-1) started for the Curve and kept the SeaWolves (44-39, 13-4) off balance throughout. Waddell allowed only three baserunners, two hits and one walk, in a season-long six scoreless innings and recorded a season-high seven strikeouts. Six of his seven strikeouts came in his final three innings and he struck out the side in the sixth.

Tweet from @AltoonaCurve: Big game from @BWaddell20 He strikes out the side in the sixth to reach 7��� for the night6 IP | 2 H | 0 R | 1 BB | 7 SO pic.twitter.com/sdGRuhlwKG
Sulser (Save, 2) took over in the seventh with the Curve leading 3-0 and worked out of a jam in his first inning of relief. The SeaWolves loaded the bases with one out for Sergio Alcántara, who hit a high chopper that Sulser leaped for and fielded on the first-base side of the mound and threw home for the force out. The next batter, Joey Morgan, hit a comeback grounder to Sulser, who fielded it and threw to first for the third out. Sulser retired the side in order in the eighth and worked around a leadoff double in the ninth to preserve the shutout.
The Curve scored two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth off Erie reliever Joe Navilhon (Loss, 1-2). Bligh Madris and Robbie Glendinning hit back-to-back singles to start the fourth, Jerrick Suiter followed with a sacrifice fly to center field and two batters later, Alfredo Reyes hit a two-out, RBI single up the middle. The Curve added to their lead in the fifth when Jared Oliva hit an RBI single to center that scored Mitchell Tolman , who singled to start the inning and later stole second base.
Oliva went 2-for-3 with two singles, a stolen base and a walk. It was his fourth straight multi-hit game and fifth in his last six games. Tolman extended his hitting streak to seven games and on-base streak to 12 games, both season highs, with a 2-for-4 night. Madris went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles, a walk and he scored a run.
Trent Szkutnik started for the SeaWolves and did not allow a run, but lasted just 2.2 innings. Navilhon, Wladimir Pinto and Zac Houston combined for 10 strikeouts in 5.1 innings in relief of Szkutnik.
The Curve and SeaWolves will play game three of their four-game series on Saturday at 6 p.m. Right-hander Cody Bolton (0-1, 7.71) will start for the Curve against SeaWolves right-hander Anthony Castro (3-1, 3.97).
Gates will open for fans at 5 p.m. It's another Allegheny Yinzers night, presented by Keller Engineers. Stick around after the game for Pittsburgh-themed FIREWORKS, presented by FirstEnergy, and during the game, Pittsburgh-style concessions upgrades will be available to fans. Come early too and enjoy live pregame music from Downshift as part of the Curve Concert Series, presented by Unlimited Cycle Center. For tickets or more information, 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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