NEW BRITAIN, CONN. - The Curve's losing skid hit five games, and they took another step back in the race for a playoff spot Saturday.
New Britain churned out 14 hits in the team's 8-6 win over the Curve at New Britain Stadium. While the Curve suffered their fifth straight defeat, Bowie downed Trenton, 8-7, to put the Curve four games out of second place in the Western Division and a playoff spot.
The Curve took a 3-2 lead with two runs in the fourth inning, but the Rock Cats responded with two runs in each the fifth, sixth and seventh. Aaron Hicks and Chris Herrmann each had three hit games for New Britain and the duo combined for five RBIs.
Altoona trailed 8-3 entering the ninth inning but didn't go down quietly.
The Curve started the frame with three straight hits from Jarek Cunningham, Stefan Welch and Quincy Latimore. Cunningham scored on Latimore's single, and New Britain's lead was cut to three runs when a sacrifice fly off the bat of Drew Maggi brought home Welch.
An RBI single from Adalberto Santos whittled the lead down to two runs, and the Curve eventually got the tying run aboard as Ramon Cabrera hit a two-out single. But Matthew Hauser - who came out of New Britain's bullpen with two outs in the ninth inning - worked his way out of the jam. Hauser struck out Oscar Tejeda to end the game and earn his first save.
Fact Box
Next stop
Today: Altoona at New Britain, 1:35 p.m.
Pitchers: Curve RHP Gerrit Cole (2-4, 3.94) vs. Rock Cats RHP B.J. Hermsen (8-5, 3.20)
Record: 54-58
Adalberto Santos and Ramon Cabrera both had good games at the plate for the Curve.
Santos was 3-for-5 and raised his batting average to .402 on the season. Meanwhile, Cabrera reached base all five times that he stepped to the plate, as he had two hits and walked three times.
Lefty Kris Johnson was the starter for the Curve. Johnson (0-1) allowed six runs - four earned - on 11 hits in six innings and had five strikeouts.
Jose Gonzalez wasn't the starter for the Rock Cats, but was the pitcher of record. Gonzalez (1-0) pitched scoreless innings in relief and struck out three batters in a winning effort.
Game recap
Key player: New Britain C Chris Herrmann was 3-for-5 with three RBIs.
Key play: A sacrifice fly from 3B Deibinson Romero brought Herrmann home, and gave New Britain a 4-3 lead, which the team never relinquished.
Key stat: The Curve are now four games out of a playoff spot, and have lost five straight games.
How they scored
Bottom 1st: Hicks singled, scored on Johnson wild pitch (0-1).
Top 2nd: Cabrera walked, scored on Welch groundout (1-1).
Bottom 3rd: Hanson reached on Holt error, scored on Herrmann single (1-2).
Top 4th: Santos singled, scored on Tejeda single (2-2); Cabrera walked, scored on Curry sacrifice fly (3-2).
Bottom 5th: Hicks solo homer (3-3); Herrmann singled, scored on Romero sacrifice fly (3-4).
Bottom 6th: Hanson walked, Beresford singled, both scored on Herrmann single (3-6).
Bottom 7th: Rohlfing hit by pitch, scored on Beresford single (3-7); Hanson singled, De Los Santos pinch ran for Hanson, scored on Hicks single (3-8).
Top 9th: Cunningham singled, scored on Latimore single (4-8); Welch doubled, scored on Maggi sacrifice fly (5-8); Santos single scored Latimore (6-8).
