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Down 5-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning on Thursday evening, the Altoona Curve put together some of their best at-bats of the game.<\/p>\n
After leaving the bases loaded in the sixth when they were still down three runs, the Curve put together a rally to tie the game. After giving up a run in the top of the 10th, a Javier Rivas base hit scored Will Taylor to tie the game again.<\/p>\n
With the bases loaded and two outs and a full count, Duce Gourson worked a walk off Erie relief pitcher Trevin Michael to take home a 7-6 win in 10 innings in front of 2,950 fans.<\/p>\n
\u201cShout out to the team,\u201d Gourson said. \u201cThey put us in a really good position to get back in this. Everyone put together good at-bats in the bottom of the 10th. Even leading up to that there were really good at-bats by everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHis at-bats have been getting better slowly but surely,\u201d Curve manager Andy Fox said. \u201cHopefully it\u2019s something to build on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Putting together good at-bats has been a key in the Curve playing better baseball over the last month. After losing its first 12 games of the season, Altoona has gone 17-13 in the last 30 games, and are now only a \u00bd game back of climbing out of last place in the Eastern League Southwest Division.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe did a really good job with two strikes, and put the ball in play,\u201d Fox said. \u201c(In the eighth inning) I don\u2019t think we hit a ball out of the infield. It shows when you put the ball in play, good things can happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
With the game tied at 5 in the bottom of the eighth, Gourson looked to have the game-winning base hit with a single through the left side. However the ball hit Keiner Delgado, who had just had a 2-run double to tie the game one batter earlier.<\/p>\n
Could Delgado have avoided the ball hitting him? Fox wasn\u2019t sure if there was a solution.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only thing I can think of is he thought it would stay on the ground and it popped up on him,\u201d Fox said.<\/p>\n
Curve starter Connor Wietgrefe went 3\u00aa innings and allowed three earned runs on four hits. Alessandro Ercolani got the win after throwing two innings and only allowing the ghost runner in the top of the 10th to score for an unearned run.<\/p>\n
Streak snapped<\/p>\n
The Curve had a streak of 12 games without an error going into Thursday. That was snapped in the second inning on back-to-back plays that resulted in errors by Delgado and Gourson.<\/p>\n
Still, it\u2019s a strong sign of the improvement through a little less than two months through the season.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish we didn\u2019t make two in the same inning today,\u201d Gourson said. \u201cIf we can play good defense behind our guys, we have a really good staff. We\u2019ll be in a position to win a lot of games.\u201d<\/p>\n
Respect 90<\/p>\n
Baseball players are taught to run everything out at a young age, no matter the circumstances. Javier Rivas must have taken that lesson to heart in Little League.<\/p>\n
On a routine bouncer back to Erie relief pitcher Johan Simon in the sixth inning, Rivas hustled down the first base line and beat out an underhand throw from Simon for a base hit.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe try to preach, \u2018Play hard. You never know what\u2019s going to happen,’\u201d Fox said. \u201cRun balls out and you might force an errant throw or whatever it is. This group as a whole has played hard all year, so it doesn\u2019t surprise me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Up next<\/p>\n
The series continues this evening at 6 p.m. Right-hander Peyton Stumbo will get the ball for the Curve, while the SeaWolves will start RHP Kenny Serwa.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Altoona Curve couldn\u2019t hold off a late rally by the Harrisburg Senators en route to an 8-3 loss in front of …<\/p>\n