CURVE, Pa. – For the second straight game, the Altoona Curve beat the Akron RubberDucks, 4-3, in walk-off fashion on a game-winning single by Jin-De Jhang on Thursday at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
(Photo courtesy of Altoona Curve)
The Curve (25-24) led 3-1 after a two-run homer by Jason Martin, his seventh, in the sixth inning before the RubberDucks (31-23) came back to even the game at 3-3.
Mitch Keller left a pair of runners on base with one out in the seven before he was lifted from the game. Akron pushed one of the inherited runners for Sean Keselica across on an RBI single by Ka’ai Tom. Keller struck out six Akron batters and allowed two runs on six hits. Bobby Bradley hit a solo homer off Keller in the fourth inning that tied the game 1-1.
Keselica used two double plays to end each of his two innings of relief. Tyler Krieger bounced into a 6-4-3 twin killer to finish the seventh, and Connor Marabell hit into a 6-3 double play as Keselica escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth.
In the ninth, the first three Akron hitters reached base on Geoff Hartlieb (Win, 5-2) prior to the game-tying sacrifice fly by Krieger.
In the home half of the ninth inning, Will Craig led off with a single, his second hit of the day, off Mitch Brown (Loss, 1-3). After Logan Hill was hit by a pitch, Elvis Escobar pinch ran for Craig at second base prior to Jhang’s game-winner.
Stephen Alemais, who delivered the walk-off single on Wednesday, tripled on the first pitch from Akron starter Sean Brady and scored on an RBI single by Ke’Bryan Hayes to give the Curve a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
On Friday, the Curve opens a three-game series at Dunkin Donuts Park against the Hartford Yard Goats. Left-hander Taylor Hearn (1-4, 4.06) will start the series opener for the Curve and Hartford will start righty Jesus Tinoco (4-4, 5.54).
