Cannonballs coming: A great AAA start from . . . Frank Duncan

-- Frank Duncan (pictured) made what was probably a spot start for Indianapolis (17-16) and threw six one-hit, shutout innings against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.  Duncan threw 48 of 68 pitches for strikes, didn't walk a batter, and fanned five.  With Kyle Lobstein being optioned to AAA, Duncan likely will rejoin the Altoona rotation.  Duncan left with a 1-0 lead, but the three relievers who followed all gave up runs and the Indians lost, 4-2.  Others:

Alen Hanson:  1-4
Adam Frazier:  1-4
Josh Bell:  0-2, 2 BB
Jason Rogers:  1-4
Willy Garcia:  1-3, BB
Max Moroff:  0-4, 3 K
Gift Ngoepe:  1-4, 2B, 3 K

-- Altoona (18-17) came from behind in the ninth to beat hapless Richmond for the eighth straight time, 5-2.  With the Curve trailing, 2-1, Austin Meadows and Reese McGuire both doubled to tie the game.  McGuire got picked off for the second out, but three walks set up a Stetson Allie pinch-hit single to give Altoona the lead.  Meadows finished 2-3 and McGuire 1-4.  Tyler Eppler allowed two runs, one earned, over seven innings.  He gave up five hits and two walks, and struck out three.  Eppler was efficient, taking just 86 pitches to get that far.  Others:

Harold Ramirez:  3-5, 2B
Erich Weiss:  0-5
Barrett Barnes:  3-3, BB
Dovydas Neverauskas:  IP, BB

-- Bradenton (16-18) pounded out nineteen hits in a 13-1 win over Palm Beach.  Three different players had four hits.  Kevin Newman went 4-6 and is now hitting .371.  Chase Simpson was 4-6 with two doubles and Taylor Gushue 4-5 with one double.  Austin Coley gave up a run on two hits and a walk, while striking out three.  Others:

Kevin Kramer:  2-5, 2B
Jerrick Suiter:  3-5
Jordan Luplow:  2-5
Connor Joe:  0-5, 2 K

-- West Virginia (18-15) lost to Lakewood, 4-1.  Bret Helton couldn't throw strikes and lasted only three innings.  He gave up all four runs, two of them unearned.  Tanner Anderson threw five scoreless innings in relief, giving up just two hits, walking none and striking out four.  The Power had only four hits, two of them by Daniel Arribas.  Others:

Ke'Bryan Hayes:  0-3
Casey Hughston:  1-4, 2B