EL Altoona Curve

Curve Walk-Off 'Ducks in Wild Wet-Weather Affair

Published on August 5, 2022 under Eastern League (EL)
Altoona Curve News Release


CURVE, Pa. - For the fifth time this season, the Curve were walk-off winners on Friday night as Blake Sabol hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth to push the Curve past the Akron RubberDucks, 2-1, at PNG Field.

It was a strange affair featuring a one hour and 19-minute rain delay that ran both starters from the contest in the second inning. Altoona carried a combined no-hitter into the fifth inning, with Akron carrying one into the seventh before allowing a hit.

The RubberDucks grabbed back-to-back hits in the ninth inning off Tahnaj Thomas to score the first run of the game. Brayan Rocchio lined a two-out single to right field. With Rocchio running for second, Bryan Lavastida perfectly executed a hit-and-run by sending a ground ball to right center field. Rocchio went first to third when Connor Scott lost his footing in the wet outfield grass, allowing the run to score.

In the bottom of the ninth, Grant Koch worked a five pitch walk off new right-hander Robert Broom to open the frame. Jared Triolo then sent a full-count pitch into right-center field and went all the way to third for the game-tying RBI-triple. Andres Alvarez drew a walk before Sabol lifted the sacrifice fly to center field to win the game for Altoona.

Kyle Nicolas threw the first two innings for the Curve prior to the rain delay, striking out four batters and walking one with no hits. Jeff Passantino entered in the third and tossed four scoreless frames, striking out three baters. He allowed just one infield single in the fifth, the only hit for Akron leading into the ninth inning. Brad Case threw the seventh and eighth innings, striking out three batters and allowing one base runner on a hit-by-pitch. In total, Curve pitchers struck out 11 batters in the win.

Gavin Williams threw 1.2 perfect frames before the stoppage for Akron. Randy Labout followed with 3.1 no-hit innings with four punchouts, walking Fabricio Macias in the fifth inning. Aaron Pinto then tossed three scoreless innings with five strikeouts, allowing a one-out single to Sabol to end the no-hit bid in the seventh. Akron struck out 12 Curve batters in the loss.

Sabol extended his on-base streak to 15 games in the win, the third Curve batter to reach the mark this season. It is the second walk-off win on a sacrifice fly for Altoona this season and the ninth time in franchise history, after Scott did it to defeat Richmond back on July 16th.

The Curve continue their six-game series with the Akron RubberDucks, Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, on Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader beginning at 4:00 p.m. RHP Quinn Priester takes the ball for Altoona in game one with a game two starter yet to be announced. Akron has not named a game one starter but will send RHP Thomas Ponticelli to the mound for game two.

For tickets and more information about Curve Baseball, visit AltoonaCurve.com, call 877.99.CURVE or stop by the PNG Field box office.

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Eastern League Stories from August 5, 2022


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