ALTOONA, PA - On the night of Casey Mize's anticipated return to PNG Field, it was the offenses that stole the show, as the Erie SeaWolves (16-14) could not hold off the Altoona Curve (17-16), 8-4 on Friday night. It was just the second loss in 12 games in which
ALTOONA, PA - On the night of Casey Mize's anticipated return to PNG Field, it was the offenses that stole the show, as the Erie SeaWolves (16-14) could not hold off the Altoona Curve (17-16), 8-4 on Friday night. It was just the second loss in 12 games in which the SeaWolves pounded out 10 or more hits.
Mize was solid in his second start in Altoona, after throwing a complete-game no-hitter on April 29 vs. the Curve, tossing 5.0 innings and allowing two runs on seven hits. He struck out four and walked one. Most importantly, he left with a 4-2 lead that the Erie bullpen could not hold.
Reliever Fernando Perez allowed three straight hits to begin the bottom of the sixth, the last of which Jason Delay put onto the left field bleachers to give Altoona their first and final lead. Mark Ecker allowed a solo home run in the seventh, and the Curve got two insurance runs in the eighth.
Altoona outscored Erie from the sixth inning on, 6-0.
Erie's offense started in the form of a Derek Hill leadoff home run, his fourth of the season and second bomb to begin a game. It also tied a career-high in HR's for Hill in a single-season.
Hill then led off the third with a walk and, after an Isaac Paredes single, Jake Rogers plated Hill with a sacrifice fly to left.
Cam Gibson recorded his second three-hit game of the year as Hill notched his third. Paredes also extended his season-long hitting streak to seven games.
The SeaWolves got their last two in the fourth, when Taylor Motter earned a leadoff walk and Kody Eaves tripled him in. Two batters later, Sergio Alcántara brought home Eaves with a sac fly.
Tomorrow, RHP Matt Manning (2-1, 2.65 ERA) will take the mound against RHP Scooter Hightower (1-3, 5.52 ERA) and the game can be heard on Fox Sports Radio AM 1330 WFNN, SeaWolves.com, the TuneIn app, or seen on MiLB.TV. Mark your calendars however, as Erie returns to UPMC Park on Monday, May 13 for their first series of 2019 versus the Richmond Flying Squirrels.
