Contreras Dazzles In 5-0 Win Over Rumble Ponies

Curve throw combined one-hitter in Tuesday night win

By Jon Mozes

May 11, 2021

BINGHAMTON, NY – Right-hander Roansy Contreras retired the first 17 batters he faced and matched his career-high with 11 strikeouts across six no-hit innings in Altoona’s 5-0 victory over Binghamton on Tuesday night. The 21-year-old from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic once again used a mid-to-high 90’s fastball, devastating

BINGHAMTON, NY – Right-hander Roansy Contreras retired the first 17 batters he faced and matched his career-high with 11 strikeouts across six no-hit innings in Altoona’s 5-0 victory over Binghamton on Tuesday night.

The 21-year-old from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic once again used a mid-to-high 90’s fastball, devastating change-up, and a filthy curveball to carve up a veteran Binghamton lineup. Contreras needed just 50 pitches to work through his first five innings and finally allowed a baserunner when he walked reliever Thomas McIlraith and CF Desmond Lindsay with two outs in the sixth. With the perfect game broken up, Contreras struck out Luis Carpio for his 11th strikeout of the night and completed six innings on just 70 pitches, 49 strikes.

Binghamton recorded their only hit of the night leading off the seventh inning when reliever Jeff Passantino allowed a single to center field by LF Sebastian Elizalde. Passantino allowed one other baserunner, an Elizalde walk in the ninth, over three scoreless innings of relief to earn the save. Curve pitching combined for 16 strikeouts once again on Tuesday, the third time in six games they have recorded at least 16 strikeouts in a game this season.

Oneil Cruz (1-for-4, 2 RBI) provided the offensive support for Contreras’ brilliant outing with his first home run of the season in the sixth inning. After Ji-Hwan Bae drew a walk against McIlraith, Cruz smashed the first pitch he saw over the wall in right-center to give the Curve a 2-0 lead.

Altoona added a second big home run in the ninth inning when Canaan Smith-Njigba hit a no-doubt three-run homer over the batting tunnel beyond the right field fence in Binghamton. Rodolfo Castro and Mason Martin both scored on Smith-Njigba’s first Double-A home run after drawing walks against Cole Gordon to begin the frame. The three-run homer by Smith-Njigba capped off a 3-for-4 day at the plate that included a bunt single in the second inning and his second stolen base of the season.

The Curve and Rumble Ponies continue their six-game series on Wednesday night at NYSEG Stadium at 6:35 p.m. RHP Travis MacGregor (0-1, 11.57) will make his second start of the season, Binghamton will send RHP Colin Holderman (0-1, 3.60) to the mound.

For tickets or more information about Curve Baseball, 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.