From the Altoona Curve:
Scott Slices Senate in Front of Season-Best Crowd
Curve win series over Harrisburg in front of 8,344 fans on Sunday night.
CURVE, Pa. – Connor Scott launched his second home run of the season to aid Altoona’s offense as the Curve defeated Harrisburg, 7-3, on Sunday night in a game that lasted one hour and 53 minutes in front of a season-high 8,344 fans at PNG Field.
The Curve scored five times in the first inning off left-hander Alex Troop. With runners on first and third, Brendt Citta lined ab RBI-single before Liover Peguero followed with an RBI-single of his own in the next at-bat. Scott then followed with a three-run home run to cap off the frame, his first since April 16th against Richmond.
Curve starter Luis Ortiz tossed four innings, allowing two runs on four hits. He gave up a two-run shot to Jackson Cluff in the third inning, his third home run of the season. Ortiz stuck out three batters and walked one. Jeff Passantino earned the win, his first of the season, in 3.1 innings of relief. He allowed one run on a Brady Lindsly solo homer in the eighth before allowing another two hits as the Curve turned to Tahnaj Thomas for the final five outs of the game. Thomas did not allow a hit and struck out two batters as he earned his first save of the year.
The Curve struck for two more runs in the fourth inning. Fabricio Macias and Matt Fraizer knocked back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second. Fraizer then stole second, and Macias stole home after the throw went to second. Jared Triolo then hit a ground-rule double to score Fraizer.
Aaron Shackelford had two hits in the contest for the Curve, as Altoona had eight of nine batters in the order reach base. The 1:57 game length was six minutes over the record for shortest nine-inning game time in franchise history and the fastest this season. The 8,344 fans are the most at a game since July 4, 2019, when 8,806 fans were in attendance.
Altoona improves to 4-2 in the second half of the season and 37-38 on the year.
The Curve travel to Akron tomorrow to begin a six-game series with the RubberDucks, Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, at 7:05 p.m. RHP Carmen Mlodzinski takes the ball for the Curve, with RHP Hunter Gaddis on the mound for Akron.
