MANCHESTER, N.H. – An early 4-0 lead for the Altoona Curve evaporated in the series finale as the New Hampshire Fisher Cats clawed back and won, 7-6, on a walk-off home run by Cavan Biggio on Thursday at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium.
(Photo courtesy of Altoona Curve)
Biggio led the comeback charge for the Fisher Cats (68-50) with two homers, a double and scored four runs after starting the series 0-for-10. The Curve (65-54) were seeking the sweep and had not trailed in the three-game set until Biggio’s game-winning blast.
Tyler Gaffney started the scoring when he connected on an opposite-field, three-run homer to right for the Curve’s first hit in the second inning. The homer made T.J. Zeuch pay for a lead-off walk to Jin-De Jhang and for hitting Logan Hill with a two-strike pitch.
Jhang came back with an RBI double the next inning to extend the lead. The inning ended on that play when Will Craig was thrown out at home in an attempt to score behind Ke’Bryan Hayes and Jhang was also thrown out trying to move up to third.
Cole Tucker put Altoona on the board for the third straight inning in the fourth with a two-out, RBI single that scored Jordan George. Tucker started the seventh with his sixth triple of the season and scored on a sacrifice fly by Bryan Reynolds.
Eduardo Vera tossed six innings and allowed three runs to New Hampshire and was in line for his fifth straight win when he departed the game with a 6-3 lead.
Biggio contributed to all three runs for the Fisher Cats against Vera. He got New Hampshire on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third with a two-run homer to right, his league-best 25th of the campaign. Biggio doubled to start the sixth and moved over twice on two fly outs to score the Fisher Cats’ third run.
Yeudy Garcia retired the first four batters he faced out of the bullpen, including three strikeouts, before the Curve lead slipped away. Max Pentecost plugged the left-center gap that scored two runners that Garcia walked to pull the Fisher Cats within one run.
New Hampshire tied the game on a two-out throwing error by Tucker. Tate Scioneaux (Loss, 2-3) took over with runners on the corners and struck out his first batter faced an induced a ground ball to shortstop but the throw got away from Craig to allow the tying run to come home. Scioneaux had locked down the first two outs in the ninth inning prior to surrendering the game-ending homer.
Hayes went 0-for-5 to end his hitting streak at 16 games, the longest by any Curve hitter this season. Craig (2-for-4) and Tucker (2-for-4) each recorded multi-hit games in the loss.
Altoona claimed the season series over the Eastern Division leading-Fisher Cats, four games to two. With a loss by Akron on Thursday, the Curve remain 1.5 games behind the RubberDucks atop the Western Division standings.
The Curve continue their eight-game trip in Portland and begin a three-game set with the Sea Dogs, the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, on Friday. Right-hander Luis Escobar (3-0, 5.33) will take the mound for Altoona against Portland right-hander Teddy Stankiewicz (7-10, 4.38).
SPIKES/CROSSCUTTERS HALTED IN MID-GAME BY RAIN
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Rainstorms in the State College area that rendered the field unplayable forced the State College Spikes and Williamsport Crosscutters to halt their game on Thursday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park with the fifth inning about to begin and State College leading, 3-0.
The game will now be resumed as part of a makeshift doubleheader on Monday at 5:35 p.m., with the completion of the suspended game to nine innings, followed by a seven-inning game between the two teams.
Tickets for Thursday night’s game can be redeemed for a ticket of equal or lesser value to any remaining Spikes home game in 2018, based upon availability. Fans can redeem their tickets by visiting the Medlar Field at Lubrano Park Ticket Office, or by calling (814) 272-1711 for more information on ticket redemption.
Tickets for Monday’s scheduled game are now good for both games in the makeshift doubleheader, with ballpark gates opening at 4:10 p.m. for season seat holders, 4:20 p.m. for groups, and 4:30 p.m. to the general public.
The rain curtailed a historic effort for State College (26-31) starting pitcher Jacob Schlesener, who tied a Spikes single-game record with 10 strikeouts over the first four innings. Schlesener matched Will Anderson, Fernando Baez, Juan Perez and Daniel Castano in the franchise record book.
The right-hander gave up two hits and a walk while recording his first nine outs via strikeout.
State College took the lead with Nick Dunn’s third home run of the season, a solo shot to the right field bleachers, in the first, then tacked on two more runs in the opening frame on Kevin Woodall, Jr.’s double and Alexis Wilson’s RBI groundout.
The Spikes will now hit the road to Ohio for a three-game series against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers (Cleveland Indians) starting on Friday at Mahoning Valley. State College will send right-hander Franyel Casadilla (2-1) to the mound for the series opener, which will start at 7:05 p.m.
Mahoning Valley is slated to go with right-hander Juan Mota (4-3) on the mound.
Copyright © 2024 EYT Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of the contents of this service without the express written consent of EYT Media Group, Inc. is expressly prohibited.
