ALTOONA, PA - The Erie SeaWolves (38-19, 74-51) used three home runs in the first three innings to take control in a 7-2 win over the Altoona Curve (22-34, 53-72) on Sunday night at Peoples Natural Gas Field. Erie won the final three games of the week to split the series with their Southwest Division rivals.
The SeaWolves wasted no time to get to Altoona starter Matt Ager. Woody Hadeen roped a triple up the right-field line on the first pitch of the game and scored on a single from Zyhir Hope. Ager caught Hope trying to steal second base and retired the next two hitters to end the frame.
Izaac Pacheco made his presence felt in the second, blasting a leadoff home run to right field to double the early lead. Erie worked two walks in the inning but couldn't bring another across until the third. The top of the order continued its dominance this weekend with singles from Hadeen and Hope to open the inning. Thayron Liranzo got in on the home run fun with a three-run shot to right-center field. Pacheco delivered an encore two batters later with a solo shot, his second homer in as many innings, to give the SeaWolves a 6-0 lead after three.
Carlos Peña was outstanding in his second start of the week for Erie. The left-hander faced just one more than the minimum in his five scoreless innings with four strikeouts in his best start of the season and earned his seventh win of the year. Colin Fields followed him by striking out the side in the sixth.
Erie added on to the lead in the seventh with EJ Exposito causing havoc on the bases. The SeaWolves infielder stole second, then third and scored on an errant throw down from Curve catcher Camden Janik.
Altoona got on the board against Eric Silva with a solo home run from Murf Gray in the seventh inning to cut the lead to 7-1.
Tanner Kohlhepp pitched a hitless eighth inning before Wandisson Charles entered for the ninth. The right-hander retired the first hitter he faced, but the Curve gained some momentum from an error from Pacheco. Murf Gray singled and back-to-back walks brought in a run to shorten Erie's lead to five. Charles bounced back in a big spot with a strikeout and a groundout to slam the door and secure the series victory.
The SeaWolves return home to UPMC Park on Tuesday night to kick off the final homestand of the regular season against the Somerset Patriots, the only meetings between the teams this season. First pitch is set for 6:05 PM.
Single-game tickets, suites, picnics, The Club by Synchrony events, and Bud Light Party Deck groups are now available by visiting SeaWolves.com, calling 814-456-1300, or visiting the UPMC Park Box Office in person.