Curve Break Out Bats in Series Finale with Harrisburg
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Updated: June 29, 2012
The Curve didn't waste time scoring on Friday night as they grabbed a run on Rosenbaum (7-5) in the first inning. Grossman led off the game with a double and moved to third two batters later when Jarek Cunningham singled into right. Matt Curry came to the plate with runners at the corners and actually struck out while Cunningham was breaking for second. The throw from 'Sens catcher Devin Ivany went towards second base to try and get Cunningham and Grossman broke home to score the game's first run.
Altoona made it 2-0 in the very next inning when the newest member of the Curve outfielder Oscar Tejeda, who joined the team on Thursday, planted his first home run as a member of the Curve (sixth overall this season) to put Altoona in front 2-0.
From Altoona Curve reports:
That's where the game stayed until the Senators' Chris Rahl homered off Phil Irwin (1-5) to start the fourth and make it a one-run game. That'd be the only run Irwin would permit on Friday night as he went a season-best seven innings while striking out six in his best start of the 2012 season.
The bats when right back to work off Rosenbaum in the very next inning as Altoona sent 10 men to the plate and scored six runs with one out. Back-to-back doubles by Grossman and Brock Holt brought in the inning's first run before an RBI single by Cunningham scored Holt. Leading 4-1, Curry got in on the big inning with a double of his own that scored Cunningham from first and it became a 5-1 Curve lead.
Curry was the last batter Rosenbaum faced as he was removed in favor of reliever Rob Gilliam. Gilliam entered and dealt a wild pitch during Ramon Cabrera's at bat that moved Curry to third. The first basemen soon trotted home as a passed ball by Devin Ivany during the same at bat allowed Curry to score the game's sixth run. Cabrera eventually drew the walk and trotted around the bases when Stefan Welch clubbed his second Double-A homer to make it an 8-1 game.
Altoona was in full control beyond that but added two extra runs in the eighth and another in the ninth. Grossman's four hits led the way while Cunningham finished the night 3-for-5 with three RBI. Every starting position player reached base safely in one way or another in the 14-hit onslaught.
