CURVE, Pa. - The Altoona Curve outlasted the Hartford Yard Goats, 11-9, in a back-and-fourth battle on Sunday afternoon at Peoples Natural Gas Field in Altoona.
CURVE, Pa. - The Altoona Curve outlasted the Hartford Yard Goats, 11-9, in a back-and-fourth battle on Sunday afternoon at Peoples Natural Gas Field in Altoona.
The Curve (40-32) finished with a winning homestand, going 3-2 and taking two of three games against the Yard Goats (32-41).
Hartford scored three runs in the first inning off of Curve starter J.T. Brubaker. Ashley Graeter hit a two-run home run and Drew Weeks hit a solo blast to give the Yard Goats a 3-0 lead.
Altoona grabbed their first lead after scoring five runs in the bottom of the first. Connor Joe and Michael Suchy hit back-to-back two-run singles, and TomasMorales followed with an RBI single of his own to put the Curve ahead 5-3. Suchy's hit was his first since returning from the disabled list following a wrist injury that sidelined him for over a month.
The Yard Goats took a 6-5 lead in the second inning after Max White blasted a three-run home run.
Down 7-5 after Hartford added another run in the fifth, Altoona scored six runs in their half of the inning. Kevin Newman started the inning with a double, and Jordan Luplow hit an RBI single to get the Curve to within a run. After Jerrick Suiter doubled, Wyatt Mathisen hit a two-run double off the wall in left-center field, giving Altoona the lead for good at 8-7. Three batters later, Tomas Morales crushed a three-run home run to left field, his second of the season, to open the lead to 11-7.
Morales became the second Curve player this season to record four RBIs in a game, and the first since Joe on May 7. Edwin Espinal's 11-game hitting streak came to an end after grounding out in his lone at-bat after coming in on a double switch.
Brubaker lasted 3.2 innings and allowed seven runs (six earned) on five hits. Buddy Borden (Win, 5-1) picked up the victory after pitching 1.1 scoreless innings. Luis Heredia allowed a run on three hits in 1.2 innings of relief and Sean Keselica allowed a run in 1.1 innings. Tate Scioneaux (Save, 6) pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning, retiring Hartford on six pitches. He has the second-most saves on the team behind Montana DuRapau's 11.
Hartford starter Jack Wynkoop (Loss, 5-6) was chased after allowing nine earned runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings. Matt Pierpont surrendered the other two Curve runs in 1.2 innings of relief.
The Curve will begin an eight-game road trip starting on Monday against Bowie in a four-game series. Right-hander Alex McRae (6-2, 3.71) will get the start for Altoona, while Bowie will counter with right-hander David Hess (6-5, 4.95). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Prince George's Stadium.
-CURVE-
