Dreadful ‘Ducks! Curve Drop Third Straight in Akron 

AKRON, OH – Jared Triolo and Nick Gonzales smacked a combined seven hits for Altoona, but it was not enough as the Curve fell to the RubberDucks, 4-2, on Saturday night at Canal Park, marking Altoona’s third straight loss.

Batting in the lead-off spot for the Curve, Triolo finished the game 4-for-5 with four singles and a run scored. It is the second four-hit performance by an Altoona player this season after Liover Peguero did it on Thursday night.

Gonzales, who batted second in the order, went 3-for-5 with an RBI. The first run for the curve came in the third inning, when Gonzales scored Triolo on a single to left field off Akron starter Tanner Burns. This marks the first three-hit game for Gonzales this season.

Altoona scored again in the sixth inning when Lolo Sanchez hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Peguero, who reached on a walk. The inning ended with runners on the corners when Matt Fraizer struck out to reliever Tim Herrin.

Akron jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first two innings off Curve starter Omar Cruz. Jose Tena hit a lead-off triple to open the bottom of the first. Two batters later, Brayan Rocchio hit a two-run home run to claim the lead. Marcos Gonzales then hit a solo home run in the second inning.

Cruz then settled in, retiring eight batters in a row from the second through fourth innings. A lead-off walk opened his fifth inning. Later in the frame, he left the game with the bases loaded and two outs after a single and walk. Reliever JC Flowers walked the first batter he faced to allow the fourth run to cross for Akron.

Cruz took the loss, allowing four runs on four hits in 4.2 innings with two walks and four strikeouts. Flowers allowed just one hit over 2.1 innings of relief before Zach Matson tossed a scoreless eighth inning for Altoona.

For the second night in a row, Altoona stranded two runners, including the tying runner, in scoring position in the ninth. With one out, Triolo and Gonzales hit back-to-back singles and advanced into scoring position on a Peguero groundout. Aaron Shackelford then flew out to end the contest.

Shackelford doubled earlier in the contest, picking up the only hit not belonging to Gonzales or Triolo. With the hit, he extends his on-base streak to 12 games. Altoona finishes April with a 9-11 record and a league best .263 batting average.

The Curve conclude their series in Akron on Sunday afternoon at 2:05 p.m. with RHP Carmen Mlodzinski on the mound. RHP Hunter Gattis will take the ball for the ‘Ducks.

For tickets or more information, 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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