Friday night was an historic night at Blair County Ballpark, and for all the wrong reasons for the Curve.
Bowie's Lou Montanez hit for the cycle and drove in eight runs, and the Baysox belted five homers and 19 hits in a 19-3 win before 6,212 fans.
The loss was the most lopsided in franchise history, and the Curve pitching staff set records for most runs ever allowed and most hits allowed this season. Bowie dropped the Curve, 16-2, in 2002 for the previous margin of defeat record.
Bowie's top three hitters in the lineup - Sebastian Boucher, Carlos Rojas and Monatanez - combined to go 12-for-18 with 11 RBIs and 13 runs scored.
The best of the bunch clearly was Montanez, an Eastern League triple crown candidate who enjoyed the best offensive night ever by a Curve opponent. He hit for a natural cycle - single, double, triple and homer in that order - in four consecutive trips to the plate as part of a 5-for-6 night.
The eight RBIs were the most ever by a Curve opponent and the most by any player in any game played by Altoona. Adam Hyzdu holds the Curve record with seven RBIs.
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Tonight: Altoona Curve vs. Bowie Baysox at Blair County Ballpark, 7:05 p.m.
Pitching matchups: Curve RHP Christian Castorri (0-1, 6.32) vs. Baysox RHP Brad Bergesen (13-3, 2.68)
Record: 51-62
Montanez became just the second player to hit for the cycle against the Curve. Ironically, Mike Fontenot did it on Aug. 22, 2003 against Altoona wearing none other than a Baysox uniform. No Curve player has ever hit for the cycle.
Montanez flashed a smile when asked how he felt about reaching such a milestone.
''Hitting for the cycle is a once-in-a-career kind of thing,'' He said. ''It was a very special night.''
Montanez has had a lot of big nights this season. He's leading the league in homers (25) and RBIs (94), and his five hits Friday raised his average to .332, two points higher than New Hampshire's Scott Campbell.
Montanez admitted he started thinking about the possibility of completing the cycle in the fifth inning after he tripled home two runs to make the score 8-3.
''After the triple, I got to the bag and looked at my manager at third base and said that I probably have one or two more at-bats to try and swing for the fence.''
He actually walked to the plate three more times but avoided any suspense, hitting the homer in his next at-bat. He roped a line drive over the left field wall in the sixth, giving him the cycle and his team a 13-3 advantage.
''Nothing really surprises me with him anymore,'' Bowie manager Brad Komminsk said. ''He is having an outstanding year. He's right up there in home runs, RBIs and average, and this was just another great night for him.''
The best individial hitting performance by an opponent came a night after the Curve were subject to the best pitching performance the team has seen - an eight-inning, 13 strikeout performance Thursday by Trenton's George Kontos.
Curve manager Tim Leiper remained optimistic after the game and said he expects his team to come out today ready to play.
''You have to take it for what it's worth,'' Leiper said of the big loss. ''It was an old-fashioned butt kicking, but we have played real well against them this year and we will just move on.''
Nolan Reimold hit a three-run bomb to deep left field, reaching the top of the hill behind the bleachers, to give Bowie a 3-0 lead in the first against Curve starter Derek Hankins. Notorious for starting slowly, Hankins (1-8) was unable to recover and was touched for nine runs on nine hits over five innings.
The Curve countered in their half of the first. Jim Negrych singled up the middle, and Jamie Romak blasted an opposite-field shot to right for his first homer in a Curve uniform.
Steve Lerud tied the game 3-3 with a solo shot to left in the second, but Bowie starter Jason Berken did what Hankins couldn't - recover. Berken (10-3) yielded three runs on seven hits and walked three while watching his offense score 16 unanswered runs,
SUBHD: Game recap
Key player: Lou Montanez went 5-for-6 and hit for the cycle.
Key play: Montanez hit a three-run homer in the sixth to complete the cycle.
Key stat: The 19 runs allowed and 16-run margin of defeat are both Curve records.
SUBHD: How they scored
Top 1st: Rojas reached on Gonzalez error, Montanez singled, both scored on Reimold homer (0-3).
Bottom 1st: Negrych singled, scored on Romak homer (2-3).
Bottom 2nd: Lerud solo homer (3-3).
Top 3rd: Boucher singled, Rojas singled, both scored on Montanez double (3-5).
Top 4th: Nettles solo homer (3-6).
Top 5th: Boucher singled, Rojas singled, both scored on Montanez triple (3-8); Wieters sacrifice fly scored Montanez (3-9).
Top 6th: Finan walked, scored on Rojas single (3-10); Boucher singled, Rojas and Boucher scored on Montanez homer (3-13).
Top 8th: Boucher reached on Ford error, scored on Montanez single (3-14); Rojas reached on Bowers error, scored on Tucker single (3-15)
Top 9th: Nettles solo homer (3-16); Finan doubled, scored on Davis double (3-17); Boucher homer scored Davis (3-19).
