SeaWolves Stifled by Curve, Drop Second Straight in Altoona

ALTOONA, PA - The Erie SeaWolves (35-18, 71-50) didn't manage their first hit until the seventh inning as the Altoona Curve (21-31, 52-69) scored early and didn't look back in a 6-1 game on Wednesday night from Peoples Natural Gas Field.

Lucas Elissalt started for Erie and ran into trouble for the first time in his Double-A career in the first inning. Altoona loaded the bases with two singles and a walk with one out in the inning and Easton Carmichael singled in a run to open the scoring. The 22-year-old starter worked his way out of the inning and stranded the bases loaded with just one run allowed, but was pulled from the game after a single inning and 33 pitches.

Altoona continued its success at the plate in the second inning when Camden Janik and Jesus Castillo started the frame with singles against Yoniel Curet. A sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly brought in the first run in the inning for the Curve and back-to-back walks reloaded the bases for Carmichael. The Altoona catcher laced a double into left field and scored two more, but Callan Moss was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

The Curve found one more run in the third against Curet on an RBI bunt single from Castillo to give Altoona a 5-0 lead.

Erie couldn't find a rhythm against Altoona starter Nick Dombkowski. The left-hander delivered six hitless innings and allowed just one baserunner on a throwing error from third baseman Murf Gray in the fifth. Dombkowski rolled a double play to close the fifth inning and faced the minimum 18 hitters in his six innings.

Colin Fields pitched three hitless innings of his own from the SeaWolves bullpen to settle things down in the middle innings. Altoona's only baserunner against Fields came on a two-out walk in the sixth inning, but the Curve couldn't manage any further damage.

Woody Hadeen broke up the Altoona no-hit bid with one out in the seventh inning against reliever Jarod Bayless. Zyhir Hope followed with a sharp single of his own, but a quick double play ended the threat and got Bayless out of the inning.

Yosber Sanchez worked a scoreless seventh inning to set up an Erie rally in the eighth. EJ Exposito led off the inning with a double and a sharp groundout from Clayton Campbell moved him to third before a lengthy field delay slowed the SeaWolves' momentum. When the teams returned to action, an RBI groundout from Luke Shliger got Erie on the board, but cleared the bases with two away. Seth Stephenson lined a single to left to follow Shliger before a strikeout ended the inning.

Will Taylor got the run right back for Altoona with a solo home run on the first pitch from Sanchez in the eighth inning, restoring the Curve's five-run lead.

Neither side got anything going from there and Erie dropped its second straight game of the week. The SeaWolves are back in action Thursday night with Max Alba taking the mound against Connor Oliver for Altoona. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 PM.

Single-game tickets, suites, picnics, The Club by Synchrony events, and Bud Light Party Deck groups are now available by visiting SeaWolves.com, calling 814-456-1300, or visiting the UPMC Park Box Office in person.