Altoona Throws Curve At Yard Goats To Win Fathers Day Finale

June 18, 2017

Hartford - Scoring a disputed run in the top of the 11th inning, the Altoona Curve topped the Hartford Yard Goats, 6-5 on Fathers Day, to win the rubber game of the three-game series.
The home stand finale was played before another sellout crowd of 6,730, the 15th sellout this season. The weekend series against the Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate - all sellouts - drew 19,976. Eleven of Hartford's last 17 home dates have been sellouts and in 33 dates at Dunkin' Donuts Park the club has drawn 172,313.

With Justin Maffei at second base and two outs in the top of the 11th, Jerrick Suiter hit a ground ball back to the pitcher. A rainbow toss by Edison Frias arrived just ahead of Suiter. However the umpire ruled that first baseman Correlle Prime, who dropped the ball in a collision with Suiter, did not have possession long enough for the out, as Maffei scored the tie-breaking run. Following a long discussion with Yard Goats manager Jerry Weinstein, the umpiring crew met but failed to reverse their decision.
Altoona took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI double by Edwin Espinal. Hartford tied in the second on a lead off double by Josh Fuentes - whose cousin Nolan Arenado of the Rockies hit for the cycle earlier in the day - a sacrifice and a wild pitch. A two-run single by Altoona starting pitcher J.T. Brubaker in the fourth and a wild pitch in the fifth, scoring Kevin Newman - who had reached on a double- gave the Curve a 4-1 lead.
But Hartford battled back again. Starting pitcher Ryan Castellani opened the fifth inning with a single and scored on a double into the right-centerfield gap by Anthony Phillips. Omar Carrizales followed with an RBI-single. The Goats tied it with a two-out rally in the sixth inning on a pinch-hit double by Dillon Thomas, scoring Luis Jean who had reached on an infield hit.
Altoona took a 5-4 lead in the 10th on an RBI-infield hit by Wyatt Mathisen, but the Goats tied it in their half of the frame on an RBI-single by Luis Jean.
Carrizales, Fuentes and Jean each had two hits for Hartford. Castellani started for the Yard Goats and pitched six innings, allowing four runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out six.
Monday is a day off for the Yard Goats, before they open a six-game road trip at Richmond Tuesday night at 6:35. Lefthander Jack Wynkoop will pitch for Hartford against righthander Sam Coonrod for the Flying Squirrels. The game can be heard on AM 1410 WPOP and on iHeart Radio.