From the Altoona Curve:
Triolo Shines as Curve Take Sunday Game in Reading
Jared Triolo hits first home run of the season in two RBI, two outfield assist game.
READING, Pa. – Jared Triolo knocked his first home run of the season and fueled the way for Altoona on both sides of the baseball as the Curve defeated Reading, 5-2, on Sunday night at FirstEnergy Stadium.
Triolo’s solo shot came in the first inning off Fightin’ Phils starter Adam Leverett (L, 1-6). He cleared the left-center wall as the second batter of the game to get Altoona the early 1-0 lead. Later on in the contest, Triolo knocked an RBI-single off Mckinley Moore to score Andres Alvarez and extend the Curve lead in the sixth. It was the first multi-RBI game for Triolo on the season.
Altoona struck for two runs in the second inning off Leverett. Matt Fraizer knocked an RBI double off the wall in right-center to score Aaron Shackelford, who reached on a one-out walk. Later on, Alvarez hit an RBI-groundout to score Fraizer and give the Curve a 3-0 lead. Alvarez would bring another run home in the fourth off Matt Seelinger on a two-out RBI-single. He scored Shackelford, who reached again on a one-out walk.
J.C. Flowers got the start for the Curve, going two innings and striking out two batters on one hit allowed. Enmanuel Mejia threw a scoreless third inning on two walks before Omar Cruz entered in for the fourth. Cruz (W, 3-3) allowed both Reading runs in 2.2 innings. The first batter he faced in the fourth was Josh Ockimey, who lined a double to center field and scored two batters later on a Chris Sharpe sacrifice fly.
Then in the sixth, Cruz loaded the bases on a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch. He left the game with two outs as Bear Bellomy entered and allowed a single to the center field wall by Kevin Vicuna. One run would score on the play, but Triolo, playing in center, would throw out Ockimey at the plate for the third out of the inning.
Bellomy went 1.1 innings, as Tyler Saminago earned the save. He threw a scoreless eighth and ninth inning, rrecording five strikeouts on two hits. Triolo threw out Aldrem Corredor at second to end the eighth inning and pick up his second outfield assist. He became the first Curve outfielder to record two assists in one game this season. It was the third save of the year for Saminago.
The win resulted in a split of the series between the Curve and Fightin’ Phils. Altoona will begin a six-game series with the Erie SeaWolves, Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, on Tuesday night. RHP Mike Burrows will get the start for the Curve, with RHP Chance Kirby starting for Erie.
