Six-Run Second Inning Lifts SeaWolves over Curve

ALTOONA, PA - Patrick Lee's three-run home run highlighted a six-run second inning as the Erie SeaWolves (37-19, 72-51) picked up a second straight win with an 8-3 victory over the Altoona Curve (22-33, 53-71) on Saturday night at Peoples Natural Gas Field.

Altoona started quickly at the plate again with a leadoff double from Keiner Delgado. The switch-hitter came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Murf Gray. The Curve have scored at least one run in the first inning of every game this week. SeaWolves starter Joe Miller retired the final three hitters in the inning after the double to limit the damage to one run.

The SeaWolves bats came to life in the second inning with one-out singles from Luke Shliger and Clayton Campbell setting the table for the rally. Altoona starter Peyton Stumbo struck out Viandel Pena, but fell behind Patrick Lee with a 3-0 count. Lee made the Curve pay for that mistake as he launched the 3-0 fastball out to right-center field to give the SeaWolves a 3-1 lead. Peyton Graham and Woody Hadeen singled to reapply the pressure and Zyhir Hope walked to load the bases. EJ Exposito laced a two-run single to left field and Izaac Pacheco brought in the final run of the inning with a single of his own to make it 6-1 after the top of the second.

Altoona got back into the run column in the third inning as Ivan Brethowr scored on another double from Keiner Delgado. Miller escaped the jam with a flyout and a lineout to hold the four-run lead into the fourth.

The top of the Erie order continued to do damage in the fourth when Woody Hadeen doubled, stole third base and scored on a sacrifice fly from Exposito. Altoona matched the run in the fourth with a home run from Callan Moss to cut Erie's lead back to four.

The pitching settled in for the next three innings. Miller finished his outing after five innings before turning it over to Zane Barnhart and Luke Taggart. Altoona got zeros in the fifth and sixth from Jarod Bayless and a zero in the seventh from Justin Meis.

Erie struck one final blow in the eighth inning when Hadeen notched his second double and fourth hit of the night. Zyhir Hope brought him in with a line-drive to right-center field to extend the lead to 8-3.

Taggart was dominant on the mound in his return to the SeaWolves' bullpen with five strikeouts in two scoreless innings. Moises Rodriguez pitched the ninth and slammed the door with a pair of strikeouts to secure the win.

The SeaWolves have a chance to split the series Sunday night with Carlos Peña on the mound. Altoona counters with Matt Ager in a rematch of Tuesday's game. First pitch is set 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.