Courtesy photo Blake Townsend sits for a photograph with his girlfriend, Shannon Porter.

Blake Townsend fired four shutout innings en route to a 7-1 Altoona Curve win over the Erie Seawolves in front of 5,372 fans at PNG Field Sunday night.

Townsend has spent the latter part of May and early part of June being shuttled between High-A Greensboro and Altoona. He’s had success in both places including four innings of one-hit, five-strikeout baseball Sunday night.

For many minor leaguers it’s far from an easy thing, but for Townsend, who hails from Australia, it’s much more difficult given the majority of his support system is on the other side of the world.

“It’s been a bit of fun. It’s, uh, it’s definitely a little tiring, and I’m excited for an off day and get on the golf course instead of being on the plane or in the car. But it’s all positive. And you know, it’s been a good opportunity for me to get up here. So very thankful for it all.”

Enter his girlfriend of roughly five years, Shannon Porter, who is his main system of support while Townsend is stateside and throwing in the Pirates organization and helps update his family back in Australia of all things going on when he pitches.

“I always try to let his parents know when he’s relieving when I’m at the games and I see him warming up in the bullpen,” Porter said. “I always try to message them so that they know, or send him a video of him throwing just so that they feel like they’re here.”

Porter’s role is pivotal for Townsend and provides him with someone he can trust and who is willing to help at a moment’s notice much like she did last weekend as she flew from Arizona to Greensboro to help Townsend move.

“I flew in on a red eye Sunday night,” she said, “and then he picked me up Monday morning from the Greensboro airport, and then we drove straight here from Greensboro to Altoona, and then he threw the next day.”

It was a last-minute type of deal for Porter and Townsend, who was with the team in New Hampshire before flying to Greensboro after their series wrapped up Sunday afternoon.

“We had an idea that I was going to be able to go back to Greensboro and grab my stuff, but we weren’t exactly sure when it was going to happen or if it was going to happen,” Townsend said. “It was super helpful. I was able to pick her up from the airport, and we drove up here together. It definitely made it a lot easier.”

Those memories made on their last-minute trips have made the distance between Porter and Townsend easier to navigate throughout the course of their relationship, but they’ve also been some of the best times for both.

“They’re honestly one of my favorite memories,” Porter said. “I like being able to just hop on a flight and just knowing that the car ride will be like some of the most fun memories that we might even have including the whole season and the longest that we will honestly spend together in a car until the end of the season, when we go back to Arizona.”

While the time Porter and Townsend spend together is short during the season, her presence in his daily life is something Townsend doesn’t take for granted knowing he’s nowhere close to home.

“It means everything having people that you can trust and help make the hard times a little easier and help support the big wins,” Townsend said.

Having people in his corner like Porter and his teammates have certainly helped Townsend enjoy his successes a little more this year as well as his journey in the Pirates organization.

“There’s moments where you just sort of feel like you’re in fast forward or on a bit of a roller coaster, and it’s just sort of taking you where you need to go,” Townsend said. ” I’m just trying to stay grounded and remember the game is still the same no matter where you are and hitting is still really hard, so just trying to do my best on the mound to get these guys out no matter where I am, is the most important thing.”

Taking advantage

The Curve plated three runs in the third inning thanks in large part to key Erie mistakes.

A walk to Imanol Vargas, coupled with a single by Nick Cimillo, put runners on first and second for Brenden Dixon, who notched a single to score Cimillo to give Altoona a 1-0 lead.

Hudson Head then hit a ball to Seawolves shortstop Trei Cruz that was an eventual error and fielder’s choice, which loaded the bases with one out.

Wyatt Hendrie grounded into a force-out by Cruz, who tossed the ball to second baseman Jim Jarvis and scored Vargas. Jarvis threw the ball past first baseman Eduardo Valencia, which allowed Dixon to score.

“Being able to put the ball in play and keep pressure on them was huge,” Altoona manager Andy Fox said. “It’s a good team over there, and to split with them is a big thing.”

Altoona capitalized on another key Seawolves mistake in the fifth inning as Mike Jarvis made it from first to third on Termarr Johnson’s sacrifice bunt. This was thanks to nobody covering third base on the play.

Cimillo doubled home Jarvis to put the Curve up 4-0.

In the eighth, another Jim Jarvis throwing error led to more Curve runs as Cimillo moved to second on the error and then came around to score on a single by Hudson Head to move the lead to 5-1.

Mitch Jebb hit into a fielder’s choice, which scored Vargas, who reached on the error. Head scored on a hard-hit ground ball by Mike Jarvis to give Altoona a commanding 7-1 lead.

“Our ability to hit with runners in scoring position today was huge, 6-for-15. I mean, that’s pretty good,” Fox said.

Bullpen brilliant

Townsend went four shutout innings to get the ball rolling for the Curve and the rest of the Altoona pitchers picked up right where he left off.

Justin Meis threw a blemish-free fifth inning before giving way to Cy Nielsen for the sixth and seventh innings.

Nielsen gave up one hit, but kept Erie off the scoreboard, but Jaden Woods gave up the lone Seawolves run of the game in the eighth, a home run by Justice Bigbie.

Beau Burrows came on in the ninth and struck out one while not allowing a baserunner to seal the deal.

“On a bullpen day where Townsend could go for max of four innings and, we were light where some of those guys could only go an inning each today. For them to get through their innings and us to add on, it was helpful,” Fox said.

Injury woes

The Curve fell 7-2 on Saturday thanks in part to the multitude of injuries the team has accrued of late.

The team announced Jack Brannigan would be moved to the 7-day Injured List ahead of the game due to a shoulder injury adding to the growing list of injured Altoona players.

“The injuries, it’s unfortunate, but it gives guys another opportunity,” Fox said. “Some guys take advantage of it, and they get a chance to play that maybe more than they would, but you don’t ever like to see guys get hurt.”

Up next

Altoona begins a six-game series at home against Richmond on Tuesday. The Curve are expected to send RHP Wilber Dotel to the mound.