Broxton, Curve Offense Light Up SeaWolves, 12-3
Win: Chad Kuhl (2-0)
Loss: Chad Green (0-2)
Save: --
TOG: 3:01
Attendance: 1,154
ERIE, Pa. - Keon Broxton tied a career-high with six RBI as he blasted a grand slam to help lead the Curve offense to a thrashing of Erie, 12-3, on Friday night in the series opener. The Curve offense totaled 12 runs on 16 hits, both season highs, with Stetson Allie, Josh Bell and Sebastian Valle each notching three hits. Broxton's grand slam came nearly a year to the day to when the Curve hit their last grand slam when Allie hit one on April 23, 2014 vs. Harrisburg.
The Curve offense got rolling in the first inning with two outs when Bell singled and came home on the next play when Willy Garcia tripled him in. They'd add another two-out run after a Bell single in the third when Allie singled him home.
Erie came within a run after scoring a run off Chad Kuhl (2-0) in the third but that was the only run the Curve starter allowed in the game. He went on to finish six innings and give up just the one run on five hits while striking out two. Curve starters have now allowed five earned runs in 70 innings pitched this season across 13 starts. That's good enough for a 0.64 ERA.
While Kuhl was dealing zeroes, the offense found its spark with two more runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Then they really hit their stride in the seventh, scoring six runs while sending 10-men to the plate. Slade Smith started the inning by walking Edward Salcedo before giving up singles to Valle and Eric Wood. Smith then walked Gift Ngoepe with the bases loaded to make it a 7-1 game before Broxton mashed the grand slam to make it, 11-1.
Jhondaniel Medina pitched two scoreless innings of relief before Erie scored two runs off Josh Smith in the ninth for the final score.
In addition to the 16 hits, the Curve drew eight walks and only struck out six times in the win on Friday night.
The first place Curve (8-5) will look to make it three straight as the take on Erie (6-8) at 4:05 p.m. Saturday night. Top prospect Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 0.82) will make his third Double-A start of the year in the second game of the series on Saturday. He'll be opposed by Erie righty Austin Kubitza (1-0, 2.00), who checks in as the eighth-best prospect in the Detroit system according to Baseball America.
Airtime on ESPN Radio 1430, WVAM and the Curve Radio Network is scheduled for 3:50 p.m. For tickets and more information on the upcoming homestand that begins May 1, please visit AltoonaCurve.com, call 877.99.CURVE or stop by the box office windows at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
-CURVE-