Pirates MiLB recap: 6/18/14

-- Kingham went seven innings again, allowing a run, four hits and a walk, while striking out two (and plunking old friend Steve Lerud).  He's now allowed just nine hits and a walk in 14 AAA innings.  This time, Vin Mazzaro pitched two scoreless innings to preserve the win for Kingham as Indanapolis beat Gwinnett. 2-1.  Mel Rojas (pictured) was 2-3 with a double and a triple.

--Altoona lost to New Hampshire, 6-5, in what appears to have been a wild game.  Zack Dodson had a decent start, allowing three runs on just four hits in seven innings.  He walked none and struck out three.  Altoona took a 4-3 lead into the 8th, but Matt Benedict gave up three runs in the bottom half.  (For some reason, the Curve keep using Benedict with the game on the line, with usually dire results.  He now has an ERA of 8.35, with peripherals to match.)  Altoona loaded the bases with no out in the 9th, but got only one run.  The Curve were facing Daniel Norris in his first AA start and got four runs against him, including HRs by Elias Diaz, his fourth, and Stetson Allie, his 12th.  The game got wild in the 7th, with seven ejections.  These included Jarek Cunningham, Gift Ngoepe, four New Hampshire players and the New Hampshire manager.  It apparently was triggered by Cunningham being hit by a pitch.  Earlier, Norris had hit Allie his next time up after going deep, resulting in Allie later leaving the game.  Dodson then hit Andy Burns, who had also homered, and New Hampshire evidently retaliated against Cunningham.  Altoona hitters fanned 13 times in the game, nine against Norris.  Alen Hanson was 0-4.

-- Bradenton got shut out by Fort Myers, 5-0.  Jason Creasy pitched well until he weakened in the 6th.  He lasted five and two-thirds, allowing four runs on eight hits and no walks.  He fanned seven.  Josh Bell was 2-4 and Adam Frazier 2-4 with a double.

-- Jamestown couldn't hold a three-run lead and lost to Williamsport, 5-4, in eleven innings.  Frank Duncan made his pro debut, allowing an unearned run on three hits in three innings.  He walked and struck out none.  Taylor Gushue had a triple and two RBIs in five ABs.

-- MiLB.com had no information on the DSL Pirates' game.