Curve hold off Rumble Ponies in 6-5 win

CURVE, Pa. - The Altoona Curve defeated the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, 6-5, on Thursday night at Peoples Natural Gas Field to close out the final homestand before the all-star break.

The Curve (43-40) took the series rubber game and worked a split in their season series with the Rumble Ponies (45-36).
Binghamton left two runners in scoring position three separate times over the last four innings, including leaving the bases loaded twice.
The Curve jumped ahead in the first inning. Kevin Newman led off with a double and scored on groundout by Logan Hill. Later in the inning, Edwin Espinal scored on a passed ball charged against Binghamton catcher Colton Plaia.
The Rumble Ponies cut the Curve lead in half in the third. Luis Guillorme reached on a two-out infield single, scoring Dale Burdick from third.
In the bottom of the inning, Newman led off with his second double of the night, and Elvis Escobar followed with a two-run homer, his second of the year, stretching the lead to 4-0.  
Tweet from @AltoonaCurve: Elvis has left the building!Elvis Escobar crushes a two-run homer down the right field lineCurve lead 4-1 in the third inning pic.twitter.com/M3fF0erlM9
Binghamton closed within a run in the sixth. Tate Scioneaux entered with the bases loaded and no outs and worked a fly out to short right from Colton Plaia. Tyler Moore singled in a run and Dale Burdick worked a bases-loaded walk to close to gap to 4-3.
With the bases still loaded and just one out, Scioneaux got a first-pitch pop out from pinch-hitter Matt Oberste and a groundout from Patrick Biondi to escape the jam.
Altoona added a run in the sixth with an RBI groundout by Tomas Morales in the sixth and an RBI single by Jerrick Suiter in the seventh to pull ahead, 6-3.
Tweet from @AltoonaCurve: .@jerricksuiter rips an RBI single, his fourth hit of the nightWe're up 6-3 in the 7th inning#FullSteamAhead pic.twitter.com/FPvYHX5tFA
Binghamton threatened in the eighth inning. After a hit batters and a walk to start the inning for Jake Brentz , the Curve lefty struck out Moore and Burdick and got a groundout from pinch-hitter Gustavo Nunez to work out of the frame.
Tweet from @AltoonaCurve: Runners are second and third with no outs, but Jake Brentz works out of the jamCurve lead 6-3 as we head to the bottom of the eighth pic.twitter.com/62hhZQL8HV
In the ninth, Biondi reached on an error by Newman to start the inning against Montana DuRapau (Save, 13) and eventually came in to score on a double by L.J. Mazzilli. David Thompson brought in Guillorme with a groundout to pull Binghamton within a run.
Kevin Kaczmarksi singled and stole second to put runners on second and third with two outs. After DuRapau intentionally walked Plaia to load the bases with one out, he got a lineup from Moore and struck out Burdick to strand the bases loaded and end the game.
Tweet from @AltoonaCurve: FINAL - Curve 6, Binghamton 5@DurapauMontana strands the bases loaded to close it out as the Curve take the series pic.twitter.com/RPkVZiafWE
Suiter finished the game 4-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. He has reached base in eight consecutive plate appearances over the last two games, going 7-for-7 with a walk, a homer and three RBIs.
Newman went 2-for-4 with two doubled and scored twice. Wyatt Mathisen went 2-for-4.
McRae pitched into the sixth, working 5.0 innings and allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Scioneaux pitched two scoreless innings and allowed a hit and walk.
Jannis allowed four runs (three earned) over five innings on seven hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Binghamton reliever Corey Taylor allowed two runs and four hits in his two innings.
The Curve open a three-day, four-game road trip in Akron on Friday night. Left-hander Cody Dickson (0-2, 14.14) will be on the mound for the Curve, opposed by Akron right-hander Michael Peoples (2-3, 4.02). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Canal Park.
-CURVE-