SeaWolves Blank Curve, 3-0

CURVE, Pa. – Austin Meadows played his first game of the season, but the Altoona Curve offense was hushed in a 3-0 shutout loss to the Erie SeaWolves on Monday night at Peoples Natural Gas Field.

Altoona (8-10) was blanked first the first time this year as Erie (9-9) pitching allowed just four hits in the game.

Meadows, the Pirates’ second-ranked prospect, was activated to the Curve roster on Monday afternoon after missing the start of the year with a right orbital fracture suffered during spring training. He finished the game 1-for-4 with an infield single in his first plate appearance.

Erie nabbed the first run of the game in the top of the sixth inning on a solo home run by Dean Green into left field against Altoona starter Tyler Eppler (Loss, 1-2).

Eppler allowed a pair of hits to begin the seventh inning, but he was able to retire the third batter he faced before being pulled after 6.1 innings – the longest for a Curve starter this season – and allowing 11 hits. The right-hander also struck out three batters.

Jason Krizan, the first batter Jared Lakind faced in relief for Eppler, doubled off the left field wall to score the game’s final two runs and extend the lead to 3-0.

SeaWolves starter Tommy Collier (Win, 2-2) retired 14 batters in a row from the fourth to the eighth innings, before allowing a two-out infield single to Chris Diaz. Collier went seven innings, allowing three hits and striking out six.

Diaz recorded two hits on the night, and three of Altoona’s four knocks stayed in the infield. Jose Osuna went 1-for-2 and walked twice.

The Curve and SeaWolves play the second of the three-game series on Tuesday night. Southpaw Cody Dickson (0-2, 4.73) gets the start for Altoona on Tuesday, while Erie will send out right-hander Brennan Smith (0-1, 13.89). First pitch from PNG Field is scheduled for 5:45.