Curve split Wednesday twinbill in Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. - The Altoona Curve split a double-header with the Richmond Flying Squirrels on Wednesday night at The Diamond, winning the first game, 5-1, before dropping the second game of the evening, 5-1.

Game One
Win: Mitch Keller (8-2)
Loss: Shaun Anderson (5-4)
Save: --
TOG: 2:04
Box Score
Game Two
Win: Jake McCasland (2-1)
Loss: Sean Keselica (2-1)
Save: --
TOG: 2:07
Attendance: 3,633
Box Score
The Curve (35-30) began a stretch of ten games in seven days with Wednesday's double-header against the Flying Squirrels (35-33).
Game One
Behind another strong start by Mitch Keller, the Curve won the first game of Wednesday's action, 5-1.
Keller (Win, 8-2) worked six innings and allowed one unearned run with a walk and four strikeouts, lowering his ERA for the season to 3.00.
In the first, Cole Tucker scored on a wild pitch by Richmond starter Shaun Anderson (Loss, 5-4) in the top of the first to open the scoring, and Bryan Reynolds followed with an RBI single.
Keller extended the lead to 3-0 in the fourth with an RBI single, the second hit of his professional career.
Richmond scored an unearned run on a wild pitch by Keller in the bottom of the fourth to close within two runs, but Jordan George drove a two-run single in the top of the fifth to extend the Altoona lead to 5-1.
Montana DuRapau worked around a hit in the seventh to close out the game with a scoreless relief inning.
Reynolds went 3-for-4 in the game with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Tucker hit 2-for-3 with a walk and scored a run and picked up his 14^th stolen base of the year.
The Altoona offense totaled 12 hits in the win.
Game Two
The Flying Squirrels scored four runs in the first inning to beat the Curve, 5-1, in the double-header nightcap.
Making his first start of the season, Sean Keselica (Loss, 2-1) surrendered a single and a walk before Jerry Sands drove a double to plate the Flying Squirrels' first run of the game. After a strikeout of Dylan Davis, Caleb Gindl hit a two-run double to open a 3-0 lead.
Keselica issued back-to-back walks to load the bases before being replaced by Bret Helton, who surrendered a sacrifice fly to Ali Castillo to open a 4-0 Richmond lead. Helton struck out Dan Slania to end the frame and strand two on base.
The Curve broke the shutout in the fourth inning with a two-out RBI double by Reynolds against reliever Jake McCasland (Win, 2-1).
In his first start this season, Slania recorded seven strikeouts over 3.1 innings and allowed one run on one hit and a walk.
Helton pitched a season-high 2.2 innings and did not allow a run, holding Richmond to one hit with no walks and two strikeouts.
Richmond extended its lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the fourth with a two-out double by C.J. Hinojosa, the only run over two relief innings by Logan Sendelbach .
Geoff Hartlieb recorded a strikeout in a 1-2-3, seven-pitch seventh inning.
Richmond relievers Dillon McNamara and Caleb Simpson combined to throw three scoreless innings to close out the game.
Richmond pitched held the Curve to two hits in the game, doubled by Reynolds and Jin-De Jhang.
Will Craig saw his nine-game hitting streak come to an end with an 0-for-3 game.
The Curve and Flying Squirrels wrap up the series on Thursday night. Lefty Taylor Hearn (2-4, 3.57) will start for the Curve. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 at The Diamond in Richmond.
-CURVE-