Comeback Kids! Curve Rally with Seven Late Runs to Take 9-6 Win in Ten Innings

BINGHAMTON, NY – Trailing 6-2 after seven innings, the Altoona Curve rallied for their fifth straight win on Thursday night at NYSEG Stadium, taking down the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, 9-6, in ten innings.

The rally started with a single run in the eighth inning, an RBI groundout from catcher Raul Hernandez to make it 6-3 and continued with the top of the order in ninth inning. Ji-Hwan Bae (3-for-6, three runs scored) tripled to leadoff the inning and after Oneil Cruz struck out, Rodolfo Castro dropped a base hit into right-center to score Bae and bring the Curve within two. Mason Martin stepped to the plate with Castro at first and socked a 2-1 pitch over the wall in right field for his first home run at Double-A to tie the game at six. The Curve had a golden opportunity to put the game away in the ninth, but stranded the bases loaded.

Hunter Stratton shut down the Rumble Ponies in the bottom of the ninth with three straight strikeouts to send the game to extras where the Curve offense exploded again. With Hernandez placed at second base to start the inning Bae reached on an infield single to set up Cruz with men at the corners. The 22-year-old shortstop rocketed a triple to right-center to take an 8-6 lead and Castro followed him with an RBI single of his own to take a 9-6 lead that the Curve would not relinquish.

Stratton dominated again in the bottom half of the tenth, striking out the side in order in a second straight inning, to earn the win for Altoona.

Binghamton built a 6-2 lead thanks to a three-hit day from Carlos Cortes and two RBIs from Sebastian Elizalde, however, Yeizo Campos and Jared Robinson couldn’t keep the Curve offense down in the late innings. The Rumble Ponies dropped their eight straight game to start the season.

Bae and Bligh Madris led the offensive attack with three hits each, the first multi-hit game for both players this season.

With two more hits and two more RBI on Thursday night, Cruz is now 6-for-his-last-18 (.333) with a double, a triple and six RBI over his last four games: raising his batting average to .267.

The Curve and Rumble Ponies continue their six-game series on Friday night at NYSEG Stadium at 7:05 p.m. RHP Max Kranick (0-0, 3.18) will make his second start of the season, Binghamton’s starter is to be announced.

For tickets or more information about Curve Baseball, 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.