Curve let late lead slip away, fall to 'Cats

CURVE, Pa. - The New Hampshire Fisher Cats rallied for three runs in the ninth inning, knocking off the Altoona Curve, 7-5, on Saturday and snapping their three-game winning streak.

Altoona (20-13) lost to New Hampshire (12-23) for the first time this season. The Curve are now 11-3 at Peoples Natural Gas Field in 2017.
New Hampshire was down to its final out in the bottom of the ninth inning when Jonathan Davis hit an RBI single off of Montana DuRapau (Loss, 2-1) to tie the game at 5-5. Richard Ureña followed with a two-run double to give the Fisher Cats a 7-5 lead.
DuRapau was charged with his first blown save of the season and allowed a season-high three runs.
Altoona jumped out to an early lead, scoring four runs before New Hampshire starter Jon Harris recorded an out.
Elvis Escobar, Kevin Newman and Kevin Kramer all singled consecutively to start the first inning, with Kramer's knock driving home the first run. Edwin Espinal then belted a three-run home run, his third of the season and second in the last three days, to left field to give Altoona a 4-0 lead.
Kramer's single in the first inning extended his on-base streak to 30 straight games to start the season, three shy of the franchise record.
In the second inning, the Fisher Cats started to cut into the deficit. Ryan Hissey grounded out to drive in a run in his first Double-A at-bat to make it a 4-1 game.
After New Hampshire got the game to within a run at 4-3, Ryan McBroom belted a home run to lead off the sixth inning to tie the game.
Altoona briefly grabbed the lead again with run in the seventh inning. Harris threw the ball away after trying to get Escobar at first after he laid down a sacrifice bunt. Jackson Williams came home to score to make it a 5-4 game.
Curve starter Alex McRae pitched seven innings for the third consecutive start and allowed a season-high four earned runs.
Harris allowed five runs (four earned) on 10 hits in six innings of work. Jose Fernandez pitched a scoreless inning and Dusty Isaacs (Win, 1-1) pitched two scoreless frames while striking out three.
Altoona will conclude the brief four-game homestand on Sunday with game four in the series against New Hampshire. The Curve will send left-hander Brandon Waddell (0-1, 9.00) to the mound, while left-hander Shane Dawson (1-4, 5.14) will toe the slab for New Hampshire. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
Sunday is Mother's Day, featuring the Kids' Clinic with Moms. Registration starts at 9 a.m. with the clinic beginning at 10 a.m. at Peoples Natural Gas Field. Every Sunday home game in 2017, the Curve will wear special black and gold Pirates-style jerseys, presented by Keller Engineers. The game-worn jerseys will be auctioned off on August 27 at PNG Field with all proceeds benefiting Blair County Respiratory Disease Society.
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