READING, Pa. – The Altoona Curve split a double-header with the Reading Fightin Phils on Friday night at FirstEnergy Stadium, winning the first game with a pair of late homers, 10-8, and dropped the second game, 7-4.
(Photo courtesy of the Altoona Curve)
The Curve (51-44) saw a three-game winning streak snapped with the loss in game two to the Fightin Phils (45-53).
Game 1
Bryan Reynolds and Will Craig hit back-to-back, solo homers in the top of the seventh to power the Curve to a 10-8 win.
The Curve opened an 8-2 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth, but the Fightin Phils rallied to score six runs over the next three innings and lock the score at 8-8.
Reynolds led off the top of the seventh inning with an opposite-field homer, and Craig followed with a solo shot to left. It was the second homer of the game for both players.
Craig hit his first homer of the game in the third inning, a three-run shot, to put the Curve ahead 3-0. He now has 16 homers this season and has picked up a league-best 76 RBIs.
Reading closed with a run with an RBI groundout by Connor Seabold and a run-scoring double by Cornelius Randolph in the bottom of the third.
In the top of the fourth, Cole Tucker drove a two-run single and Ke’Bryan Hayes followed with an RBI single to extend the Altoona lead to 6-2. Reynolds capped the five-run inning with a two-run homer to open an 8-2 Curve lead.
Drew Stankiewicz closed the gap to 8-4 with a two-run double in the bottom of the fourth inning. In the fifth, Adam Haseley hit a solo homer and Damek Tomscha added a two-run homer to close within 8-7. Haseley tied the score in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI single against Bret Helton (Win, 5-5).
Tate Scioneaux (Save, 5) closed out the game with a scoreless bottom of the seventh.
Game 2
The FIghtin Phils scored five runs in the third and two runs in the fourth to beat the Curve, 7-4, in game two of the double-header.
After a sacrifice fly by Logan Hill opened a 1-0 lead in the top of the third, Reading plated five runs in the bottom of the inning against Curve starter Scooter Hightower (Loss, 0-1).
Trailing 7-1 entering the seventh, Cole Tucker reached on a fielding error that brought in Stephen Alemais. Bryan Reynolds added a sacrifice fly and Jordan George drove an RBI single to close the deficit to 7-4.
With the potential tying run at the plate, Seth McGarry struck out Tyler Gaffney to end the game.
Reading starter Ranfi Casimiro (Win, 4-2) pitched five innings and allowed one unearned run while issuing five walks and striking out five.
The Curve and Fightin Phils play the fourth of the five-game series on Saturday night. Lefty Taylor Hearn (3-5, 3.23) will start for Altoona, opposed by Reading right-hander Franklyn Kilome (4-6, 4.23). First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. at FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading.
