Curve Cruise to Shutout Victory over Somerset

CURVE, Pa. – Braxton Ashcraft matched a season-high with five strikeouts over five scoreless innings and Dominic Perachi punched out four batters over four scoreless frames as Altoona earned its first shutout victory of the season, 3-0, over Somerset at Peoples Natural Gas Field on Wednesday night.

Ashcraft allowed just two hits with two walks over his five scoreless frames. He matched his season-high with 80 pitches in the win, his first of the season. Perachi only allowed one hit on two walks in his four innings of relief to earn his first save at the Double-A level.

The Curve jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a throwing error by pitcher Trystan Vrieling in the third inning. With runners on first and second, Francisco Acuna laid down a sacrifice bunt that Vrieling fielded and threw into right field. Tres Gonzalez scored from second base, but Eli Wilson was thrown out trying to score from first.

Gonzalez finished the game with two hits, with his second coming on a two-run single in the fourth inning to make it a 3-0 game. Jase Bowen doubled with two outs before Gonzalez brought both runners across. Vrieling allowed all three runs to take the loss for Somerset.

The Curve recorded eight hits in the win, with Bowen and Jackson Glenn also tallying multi-hit games.

Altoona continues its six-game series with the Somerset Patriots, Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, on Thursday afternoon at 12:05 p.m. Altoona will send RHP Po-Yu Chen to the mound to face RHP Blane Abeyta for Somerset.

For tickets and more information on the 2024 Altoona Curve Season, presented by Stuckey Automotive, visit AltoonaCurve.com, call 877.99.CURVE or stop by the PNG Field box office. Additionally, the Stockyard Team Store is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., during every home game and online 24/7/365.

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— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) May 9, 2024