Curve Steal Seventh Straight Win in Extras at Binghamton

BINGHAMTON, NY – After taking a 4-0 lead in the first inning, Altoona needed extra innings to lock down their seventh straight win; defeating the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, 6-5, in ten innings. The Ponies dropped their tenth straight game to begin the season.

CF Jonah Davis began the game with a bang when he hit an opposite field solo home run to lead-off the game. It was the 30th time in franchise history that the Curve lead-off homer and first since Chris Sharpe on May 3, 2019 at Richmond.

The Curve would score four runs in the first inning against Binghamton starter Luc Rennie. 2B Ji-Hwan Bae doubled and after a Rodolfo Castro single, Mason Martin singled home a run to make it 2-0. Canaan Smith-Njigba drove in another run on a fielder’s choice and Arden Pabst added a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0.

Righty Osvaldo Bido turned in a strong start on Saturday night, retiring the first nine men he faced on his way to five scoreless innings. Bido allowed just two hits, no walks and struck out three over his outing which saw him throw 59 pitches, 43 strikes.

Binghamton rallied for four runs off RHP Brad Case in the sixth inning using an infield single from Sebastian Elizalde, a sacrifice fly from Mark Vientos and a two-run single from Will Toffey to draw even. Left-hander Cam Alldred put out the fire in the sixth inning by striking out his former collegiate teammate at the University of Cincinnati, Manny Rodriguez, stranding two runners. Alldred would throw 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief with three strikeouts.

In the tenth, SS Josh Bissonette rocketed a lead-off double past the first baseman to score the placed runner, Arden Pabst, and take a 5-4 lead. Rumble Ponies reliever Ryley Gilliam delivered a pair of wild pitches in the inning allowing Bissonette to scamper home for a key insurance run.

Right-hander Yerry De Los Santos earned the victory by stranding a pair in the ninth and allowing only the placed runner, Carlos Cortes, to cross home in the tenth inning. De Los Santos induced a double play ball with men at first and third and nobody out which allowed Cortes to score, but he came back to strike out Vientos to end the ballgame.

Davis, Martin and Bissonette recorded two-hit days to lead the offensive attack for Altoona. Martin extended his on-base streak to nine games in the victory.

The Curve go for the sweep in their six-game series with the Rumble Ponies on Sunday afternoon at NYSEG Stadium at 1:05 p.m. RHP Jeff Passantino (0-0, 0.00) will make his first start of the season, Binghamton turns to RHP Tylor Megill for the second time in the series.

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.