Erie Sets Home Run Record in Low Scoring Affair

The Erie SeaWolves only manufactured three hits and fell 3-1 to the Altoona Curve on Friday at UPMC Park.

Ty Madden got out of a couple of jams to begin the game. Liover Peguero had a leadoff triple in the first, but Madden buckled down to strike out the side.

Madden gave up back-to-back singles to Malcom Nunez and Connor Scott to start off the second inning. Madden induced Andres Alvarez into a 5-4-3 double play and Matt Frazier grounded out to keep the game scoreless.

Erie had a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the second. Quincy Nieporte led off the frame with a walk against Quinn Priester. Alvarez tried to back pick Nieporte at first after a lineout from Dane Myers, but threw the ball away. Nieporte went to third on the error but a pair of strikeouts left him on base.

Altoona opened the scoring in the third. Matt Gorski reached on an error from Luis Garcia and stole second. Endy Rodriguez laced an RBI single to put the Curve on the board. Aaron Shackelford walked, and Nunez followed suit with an RBI single to give Altoona a 2-0 lead.

The SeaWolves had a chance to plate a run against Priester in the fifth. Gage Workman laced a one-out triple, but a lineout and a popout stranded him at third.

The Curve added an insurance run in the ninth. Nunez greeted Elvis Alvarado with a leadoff double. Scott grounded out, which advanced Nunez to third. Alvarez lifted a sac fly to pull Altoona ahead, 3-0. Alvarez’s sac fly snapped a stretch of 30 consecutive innings from the Erie pitching staff without allowing an earned run.

Erie cut the deficit to 3-1 in the ninth. Michael De La Cruz cranked a home run off of Tahnaj Thomas. De La Cruz’s second long ball of the season etched his name into the history books. His solo blast was the 168th of the year for Erie, surpassing the 2002 SeaWolves team who previously held the record for the most homers in a single season in franchise history.

Thomas then retired the side in order to pick up his third save of the 2022 campaign.

Priester (4-3) earned the win. He hurled seven scoreless innings, allowing two hits, two walks, and struck out five.

Madden (2-1) was tagged with the loss. He went four innings, giving up two unearned runs on five hits, walking one, and striking out five.