Curve swept by 'Ducks in high-scoring double-header

CURVE, Pa. -- The Altoona Curve dropped both games of a double-header with the Akron RubberDucks on Saturday at Peoples Natural Gas Field. The 'Ducks blanked Altoona, 7-0, in the first game before the Curve blew a late lead to fall, 10-7, in game two.
With two losses on Saturday, the Curve (6-4) have lost four of their last five games after starting the season 5-0. The RubberDucks (3-7) have won back-to-back games for the first time in 2019. Additionally, Saturday's double-header sweep for Akron is the first by a Curve opponent since July 31, 2016 at Trenton.

Akron starter Zach Plesac (Win, 1-0) shut down the Curve and came one out shy of a complete-game shutouts. The right-hander retired 12 batters in a row from the last out of the second through the second out of the sixth, holding the Curve to four hits.
The 'Ducks jumped on Curve starter Scooter Hightower (Loss, 0-1) with two in the first inning. Andrew Calica connected on a two-out, two-RBI double down the right field line to give Plesac all the run support he needed.
Hightower worked 4.1 innings, allowing just the two first-inning runs, before the bullpen took over.
Akron added five more runs in the fifth off Altoona reliever Sean Keselica . Connor Marabell extended the lead to 4-0 with a two-RBI double to left field and Wilson Garcia capped off the scoring with a three-run double to right-center field, making it 7-0 'Ducks.
All five runs in the fifth came with two outs and were unearned due to a one-out error on second baseman Brett Pope earlier in the frame.
Dressed as the Allegheny Yinzers in the nightcap, the Curve traded leads with Akron in the middle before the 'Ducks pulled away against the bullpen.
The Curve jumped ahead, 1-0, in the second inning on Robbie Glendinning 's two-out, RBI single to right field off 'Ducks spot-starter David Speer.
Akron answered in the third when Daniel Johnson belted a two-out, two-run homer to right field off Curve starter Pedro Vasquez .
The see-saw action continued in the fourth when Hunter Owen launched a two-run blast to left off 'Ducks reliever Luke Eubank, giving the lead again, 3-2.
Tweet from @AltoonaCurve: 💣s AWAY!@Hunter_Owen11 puts us back on top, 3-2, in the fourth. pic.twitter.com/KTnLujgtJU
Altoona built their lead to four with three more scores in the fifth inning. Logan Hill ripped a two-run double down the left field line before Owen drove in his third RBI of the game on a single to center.
In the sixth, the 'Ducks rallied for eight runs and sent 14 hitters to the plate. Altoona reliever Tate Scioneaux (Loss, 1-1) failed to record an out and allowed a pair of two-run homers to Tyler Krieger and Ka'ai Tom to tie the game, 6-6. Scioneaux allowed to more hits before he was lifted for Angel German , who walked his first batter and allowed the go-ahead, two-run single to Mitch Longo. Johnson followed with a two-run single of his own to push his RBI total to four for the game and put Akron ahead, 10-6.
Despite allowing five runs in two and two-third innings, Eubank (1-1) earned the win.
The Curve threatened in the seventh, scoring one more run on a wild pitch, but James Karinchak (Save, 1) closed out the 10-7 win for the 'Ducks and sweep the double-header for Akron.
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