ALTOONA, Pa. -- With Roansy Contreras' pitch to Bowie's Terrin Vavra at 6:03 p.m., minor league baseball returned.
The pitch, a strike, brought baseball back to communities across the country after more than 600 days of being halted.
Play. Ball. pic.twitter.com/9Jb3yxZIzh
— Jarrod Prugar (@jprugar26) May 4, 2021
Contreras went on to strike out 11 in the Curve's 2-1 loss. But Tuesday night was more than strikeouts, walks and hits. It was about the return of baseball to cities and for players who desperately need the game as an outlet and a sense of normalcy.
That normalcy could be seen throughout the ballpark in fans participating in games, eating traditional ballpark food and of course children running and fighting over foul balls. It was a welcome change from last year when fans were subjected to watching from the sidewalk outside the stadium.
"This is awesome!" Altoona mayor Matt Pacifico exclaimed before the game.
Tuesday's opening game featured a capacity crowd which was limited to 2,300 fans as a result of mitigation efforts. Those fans oohed and ahhed all night from cracks of the bat to groundskeepers slipping on the tarp and getting soaked.
Minor league baseball means more to the communities they play in more than most sports. Especially in Altoona where the Curve have donated $250,000 to local non-profits through revenue generated at PNG Field concession stands in past seasons. With the lack of the season in 2020, that didn't happen, and the community suffered as a result.
Altoona thrives on the Curve, and the Curve thrive on Altoona. For Curve general manager Derek Martin, he knows just how much this game and this sport mean to this area.
"After 614 days since the last time we hosted a game, the enthusiasm of our fans was incredible," Martin said. "It was incredible to see them and have them in the ballpark. It's integral for our community and an opportunity to provide an escape from the world every time we have them here at the ballpark."
Although, for as much as games like Tuesday's mean to the fans and community, they oftentimes mean just as much if not more to the players, who haven't been able to chase their dreams while minor league baseball was on the shelf.
"It felt great to be back out there, even in the first inning when it was pouring rain," first baseman Mason Martin said. "I just wanted to keep playing -- rain, sleet or snow. It could have been snowing rocks and I still wanted to be out there."
The nerves and anxiety were still there for players and coaches alike, including Miguel Perez, who became the first former Curve player to manage the team.
"Butterflies," Perez said. "Nervous butterflies and sweaty hands. Those are the feelings we live for and it was great to see. It was great to be a part of this restarting."
MORE FROM THE GAME
• As for the game itself, it was a pitcher's duel with a 90-minute rain delay mixed in, as Contreras and Bowie's D.L. Hall went strikeout for strikeout during their outings.
Contreras issued no walks and five hits while holding the Baysox off the scoreboard for five innings. Hall struck out 10 while walking two and yielding two hits and a run.
Curve pitchers racked up a single-game record 17 total strikeouts, and both teams combined for 31 total punchouts. This is sure to be a trend as hitters get adjusted to the speed of live pitching and the game itself. Yet, despite the record-setting effort by the pitching staff, the Curve couldn't pull out a victory.
"We have to give credit to those two guys, they did a tremendous job," Perez said.
• Shortstop Oneil Cruz went 2-for-4 and scored the lone Altoona run on a sacrifice fly by right fielder Cal Mitchell.
• Bowie's J.C. Escarra launched a home run to right field off Yerry De Los Santos to tie the game in the eighth inning, following the rain delay. Patrick Dorrian, was plunked by De Los Santos with one out in the ninth before Jaylen Ferguson singled to center to set up first and third with out. De Los Santos induced a ground ball from Terrin Vavra, but the Curve weren't able to get the double play to end the inning and hold the Baysox off the board as Ji-hwan Bae's throw sailed into the dugout after he tagged Dorrian for the force out.