Hill slugs Curve to fourth straight win

CURVE, Pa. - A fine start by Luis Escobar and a big offensive night from Logan Hill led the Altoona Curve to their fourth straight win, 3-2, over the Harrisburg Senators on Wednesday at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
The win for the Curve (70-55) clinched the series and the Route 22 Trophy from the Senators (63-62). The 70th win for Altoona put the team 15 games over .500, the highest mark of the season, and secured a winning record for the fourth consecutive season.
Tweet from @AltoonaCurve: FINAL - Curve 3, Senators 2That's our fourth straight win and we've clinched our fourth consecutive winning season #FullSteamAhead pic.twitter.com/gqt1oHKjQN

Hill's two extra-base hits led the Curve to three runs against rehabbing Washington Nationals pitcher Joe Ross (Loss, 0-1). Hill smacked a ground-rule double over the left-center wall with two outs in the second and Christian Kelley singled him home two pitches later. With the game tied, 1-1, in the fourth, Ross plunked Jordan George and Hill hit the next pitch over the center field wall for his 17th homer of the season to regain the lead. Hill singled during the seventh and finished the night 3-for-3.
Tweet from @AltoonaCurve: Another day, another 💣Logan Hill drives a two-run homer and we're back on top, leading 3-1 in the fourth inning pic.twitter.com/HGg3lNWKoJ
Escobar (Win, 4-0) logged his longest Double-A start and threw beyond the fifth for the first time since he threw six innings in back-to-back starts after his promotion in July. After struggling with walks in his previous four starts, Escobar issued one free pass over 6.1 innings and struck out four. The lone run he allowed through the first six innings was a solo homer by Drew Ward with two outs in the fourth.
Tweet from @AltoonaCurve: Luis Escobar's strong night is done:6.1 IP6 H2 R1 BB4 SOSean Keselica works out of a two-on, one-out jam and sends us to the stretch with a 3-2 lead pic.twitter.com/Ivq1xqr5A7
Harrisburg doubled their hit total against Escobar in the seventh with three straight singles and scored to draw within one run. Sean Keselica (Hold, 12) entered from the bullpen with runners on the corners and one out and induced a double play to halt the threat.
Matt Eckelman (Save, 9) threw nine pitches and allowed one single during a scoreless ninth after Tate Scioneaux (Hold, 5) struck out two during a scoreless eighth.
Stephen Alemais had a pair of singles in the game and Alfredo Reyes legged out an infield single during the seventh inning to extend his hitting streak to 11 games.
Ross whiffed six Curve batters over five innings on Major League rehab for Harrisburg without walking a batter. Working back from Tommy John surgery, It was Ross's fourth overall rehab outing and his first in Double-A with the Senators.
The Curve and Senators complete their two-game series on Thursday night at 6 p.m. with left-hander Cam Vieaux (8-4, 3.71) taking the mound for Altoona opposite right-hander Sterling Sharp (5-2, 3.95) for Harrisburg.
It will be Pro Wrestling Night, presented by Stuckey Subaru, on Thursday featuring an appearance by WWE Hall of Famer Diamond Dallas Page. Each Thursday in Curve, Pa. is a Q94 Thirstday with $2 16 oz. Miller Lites and regular sized sodas in addition to $1 Juniata-brand hot dogs. For tickets or more information, visit AltoonaCurve.com, call 877.99.CURVE or stop by the PNG Field box office.
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