The Curve staged two late-inning rallies to surpass the Senators' late-inning rally, to begin this 3-game series with a win. �Altoona began the game by threatening in the top of the 1st. �SS Chase d'Arnaud led off with a single, but was erased when CF Gorkys Hernandez bounced�into a double play. �3B Jordy Mercer reached base on a throwing error, and 1B Matt Hague singled, but both were left on base when a ground out by 2B Josh Harrison ended the inning. �The Curve did get onto the scoreboard in the 2nd inning. �RF Miles Durham was hit by a pitch to start the inning, but was forced out at second base on LF Alex Presley's grounder. �Presley was safe at first, and he moved on to third base when starting pitcher Jared Hughes doubled. �D'Arnaud brought both Presley and Hughes in with a triple into center field.
Hughes gave up a double to the first batter in the bottom of the inning, and a bunt moved that runner to third base. �After a walk, a tapper back to the mound got the lead runner trapped in a run-down on the third base line and tagged out. �But the next batter doubled, and one run scored. �Hughes gave up a single in each of the 3rd and 4th innings, but kept those runners from scoring. �He then retired the side in both the 5th and 6th innings. �Hughes left the game with the lead, allowing one run on 4 hits and 5 strikeouts over 6 innings.
The Curve were not scoring either in the middle innings. �Harrisburg starter Aaron Thompson retired 11 Curve batters in order from the end of the 2nd into the 6th inning. �Matt Hague reached base on an error in the 6th, and Josh Harrison followed with a single, but they were both left stranded, as was D'Arnaud who walked in the 7th. �The scoring picked up again in the 8th. �With two outs, three consecutive hits brought in 3 runs: �a single by Harrison, a triple by Durham, and a 2-run homer by Alex Presley. �It was Presley's second home run in 10 days -- half already the number he hit in 2009.
Dustin Molleken relieved Jared Hughes to begin the 7th, and he gave up a single to Harrisburg's 1B Chris Marrero -- but Gorkys Hernandez fired a perfect throw in from center field to Chase d'Arnaud covering second and Marrero was out trying to stretch it into a double. �In the 8th, Molleken gave up one run on a walk, a single complicated by a throwing error by Miles Durham, and an RBI grounder. �Then a 2-run homer gave Harrisburg 3 runs in the inning, matching the Curve. �Jordy Mercer kept the Curve well ahead, though, with his own 2-run homer in the 9th, also bringing in Hernandez, who had singled.
Danny Moskos relieved Molleken after the homer in the 8th, and he finished the inning with a walk and two strikeouts. �He gave up a single and hit a batter in the 9th, but held on to earn his 5th Save of the season. �Hughes took the win, his 4th of the season.
