FROM THE ALTOONA CURVE:
Captain Jack Breaks Late Tie in 2-1 Win
Altoona has a chance to win their first six game series of the season on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
CURVE, PA – Jack Brannigan drove in both of Altoona’s runs, including a go-ahead single in the eighth inning, to secure a 2-1 win over the Somerset Patriots in front of 4,198 fans at Peoples Natural Gas Field on Saturday evening.
With the game tied at one in the eighth, Jase Bowen singled, stole second and advanced to third on a fly out from Nick Cimillo. With two outs in the inning, Brannigan won an eight-pitch battle with Somerset righty Kelly Austin and lined a single into center field to plate the go-ahead run.
Altoona’s pitching was outstanding in Saturday’s win. Starter Po-Yu Chen tossed five scoreless frames, allowing just one hit and one hit batsman, and struck out five as the Curve handed him a 1-0 lead in the third. Nick Dombkowski fired two innings of one-run relief before handing the ball off to lefty Cy Nielson who struck out three of the four hitters he faced and earned the win. Cam Sanders saved the game by getting the final two outs, his fourth save of the campaign.
Brannigan singled home Mitch Jebb in the third inning, giving him his third multi-hit game of the season. Brannigan has reached base safely in 11-of-13 games played this year and made several fine plays defensively in Altoona’s win on Saturday afternoon.
With a stolen base by Bowen in the eighth inning, the Curve have stolen 23 bases in 26 tries through their first 14 games. It is the most by an Eastern League club entering play on Sunday, April 20.
The Curve go for a series win against the Somerset Patriots on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. The Curve will send RHP Alessandro Ercolani to the mound, Somerset is slated to start RHP Trent Sellers.
