Altoona Curve� 5,� Richmond Flying Squirrels� 3 (box)
The Curve broke a 3-3 tie with 2 runs in the 7th inning to fly past the Squirrels.� Both teams put runners on base in the first three innings, but strikeouts from both starting pitchers, Clayton Tanner for the Squirrels and Justin Wilson for the Curve, plus a timely double play turned by the Squirrels, kept both teams scoreless.� Each team scored one run in the 4th.� The lead-off batter for Richmond gave his team a run with a solo homer in the top of the inning.� RF Miles Durham walked to lead off the bottom of the frame, and singles by LF Brandon Jones and 2B Yung Chi Chen brought him around to score.
The Curve added two more runs in the bottom of the 5th.�� 1B Matt Hague and Durham both walked, and Jones brought Hague across the plate with a single into left field.� Durham advanced to third on a wild pitch, then scored on SS Shelby Ford’s single.
Richmond tied it up again in the 6th.� Three consecutive singles drove in one run, then Wilson walked the next batter to load the bases.� Wilson was relieved by Mike Dubee. Dubee got one out with a grounder force out at thrid, allowing a run to score, before a strikeout ended the inning.� The run was charged to Wilson, but Dubee was charged with a Blown Save.
C Hector Gimenez started the rally in the 7th with a line drive single into center field.� Miles Durham also singled, and a ground otu by Jones moved both runners into scoring position.� After a pitching change, pinch-hitter Jordy Mercer batted for Dubee.� Mercer slipped a single into left field, scoring both Gimenez and Durham to break the tie, and give the Curve an insurance run.
Dubee pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the 7th, then Diego Moreno pitched a scoreless 8th, using a double play to erase a runner who had singled.� Moreno gave up two singles in the top of the 9th, but left both batters on base to preserve the win and earn his 2nd save.
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Palm Beach Cardinals� 1,� Bradenton Marauders� 0 (box)
Aaron Pribanic pitched 7 innings and allowed only 4 hits, 2 walks, and one run, but he was the hard-luck loser.� Two of the Cardinals’ hits came in the 1st inning, but Pribanic got out of the jam with a pop out and a ground out.� He worked around another single in the 2nd.� The 4th hit was the one that caused problems — a solo home run in the 5th.� Tom Boleska pitched a scoreless 8th ininng for the Marauders, allowing a single and a walk.
The Marauders posted 6 hits and collected 2 walks, including a double and a single by DH Quincy Latimore, but they never brought anyone around to score.� The biggest threat came in the 5th.� 3B Adam Davis and LF Jordan Newton both singled to begin the inning.� C James Skelton bunted, but the Cardinals’ catcher snatched it up and threw out the lead runner Davis at third.� CF Austin McClune walked to load the bases, but two strikeouts ended the inning.� RF Robbie Grossman and Latimore led off the 6th with back-to-back singles, and they advanced into scoring position on a ground out, but two more strikeouts ended that threat.� Latimore also doubled in the 4th, and Skelton singled in the 3rd.
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State College Spikes� 3,� Vermont Lake Monsters� 0 (box)
Rehabbing pitcher Quinton Miller held the Lake Monsters to just one hit and one walk in 4 shutout innings.� The first 10 batters Miller faced were retired in order, before he gave up a single and a walk with one out in the 4th.� Then Miller struckout the next two batters to finish his night’s work.� Kevin Decker finished the shutout with 5 scoreless innings.� Decker also walked one and gave up 3 hits.� The walk and two singles were erased with double plays, including one double play that ended the game.
The Spikes posted 9 hits, 3 of which were singles by 3B Kelson Brown. The Spikes started in the 2nd, on a walk to DH Chase Lyles, then singles by RF Cole White and Brown.� Brown’s single scored Lyles, to give the Spikes a 1-0 lead.� They loaded the bases in the 3rd on walks to 1B Matt Curry and White, and Lyles being hit by a pitch, but a fly out ended that inning.� They added 2 more runs in the bottom of the 5th.� Curry led off with a double, and moved to third on a ground out.� He scored on Kelson Brown’s second single, and Brown scored on C Miguel Mendez’s double.� The Spikes came close one more time in the 7th, when Lyles doubled and Brown singled for the third time.� Lyles rounded third and headed for the plate, but the throw in from right field was in time, and Lyles was out at the plate.
