Coley cruises but Curve slip in rainy opener

CURVE, Pa. - The Hartford Yard Goats broke a tie in the seventh inning and dropped the Altoona Curve, 5-2, on Friday night at Peoples Natural Gas Field.

The Curve (38-32) dropped the first game of the three-game weekend series against the Yard Goats (32-39).
With two runners on and two outs in the seventh, Brian Mundell hit a two-run single off of Curve reliever Jared Lakind (Loss,1-1) to go ahead, 4-2.
Yard Goats catcher Dom Nuñez drove in Hartford's other two runs with a pair of solo home runs, his sixth and seventh of the season.
Down 2-0 in the sixth, Edwin Espinal hit a two-run single to briefly tie the game at 2-2. Espinal now has 46 RBI on the year, which leads the team.
Curve starter Austin Coley pitched six innings and allowed two earned runs on five hits, striking out six. Lakind allowed two earned runs while walking two in one inning, and Miguel Rosario allowed one unearned run in two innings of work.
Yency Almonte started for Hartford, going 5.2 innings and allowing two earned runs on six hits. Edison Frias (Win, 1-1) pitched 1.1 scoreless innings for his first win. D.J. Johnson (Save, 2) earned the two-inning save to close out the game.
Kevin Newman finished 3-for-5 for his fourth three-hit game this season.
The start of the game was delayed 41 minutes due to rain.
The Curve will continue their homestand on Saturday with game-two in the three-game series against Hartford. Altoona will send right-hander Tanner Anderson (5-6, 3.86) to the hill, while right-hander Konner Wade (2-4, 4.56) will get the nod for the Yard Goats. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
Saturday is "A Game of Hope," presented by UPMC Altoona, as the Curve partner with Relay for Life of Central Blair in an effort to raise funds and awareness for combating all forms of cancer. The team will be wearing special jerseys featuring the names of those affected by cancer, and the jerseys will be auctioned during the game with all proceeds benefiting Relay for Life of Central Blair. There will also be a postgame fireworks show.
For tickets and more information, visit AltoonaCurve.com, call 877.99.CURVE or stop by the PNG Field box office.
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