From the Altoona Curve:
In a scheduled bullpen game for Altoona on Saturday night, Matt Eckelman worked a season-high five innings of relief, keeping the Flying Squirrels bats at bay as Altoona bookended a pair of runs in the first and ninth innings to defeat Richmond, 4-2, at the Diamond.
Altoona sent Nick Dombkowski to the mound to start the contest, who allowed one run on three hits in two innings of work. Hayden Cantrelle hit his first home run of the season in the second inning to mark the lone blemish on Dombkowski’s line.
Eckelman followed in the contest and bewildered the Flying Squirrel bats with his knuckleball/fastball approach. After working three scoreless innings, he allowed a run to Richmond in the sixth. Marco Luciano drew a lead-off walk and advanced to third on a Carter Aldrete double. Cantrelle then bounced a ball to first baseman Jacob Gonzalez, who stepped on the bag for the second out of the inning but could not deliver an on-target throw to Henry Davis at home to check down the run.
Eckelman allowed just that run on three his with two walks and two strikeouts in five innings as he came back out in the seventh and worked a hitless frame. Tahnaj Thomas and Tyler Samaniego each gave Altoona a scoreless frame to close out the game, with Samaniego earning his first save of the season.
Altoona’s offense in the contest experienced Leyja vu, with Domingo Leyba coming through for the Curve in identical situations in both the first and ninth innings. After a Liover Peguero single to open the game in the first, Davis doubled on a ball that went in and out of the mitt of left fielder Ismael Munguia as he leaped against the wall. Leyba then served a line drive into right field to score two runs.
Later in the ninth, Peguero drew a walk before Davis doubled once again on a ball that popped out of the mitt of center fielder Luis Matos on a diving attempt. Leyba then broke the tie game with a bouncing ball over the head of Aldrete at third to score Peguero. Matt Gorski followed with a sacrifice fly to score Davis and give the Curve the 4-2 lead.
The win gives Altoona its third of the week against Richmond and guarantees an above .500 record on this 11-game road trip as the Curve are now 6-4 with a game to play. Altoona is 13-11 on the season, -1.5 games back from Richmond for first place in the Southwest Division.
Altoona and Richmond finish their six-game series on Sunday at 1:35 p.m. at The Diamond. RHP Kyle Nicolas will take the ball for the Curve, facing RHP Ryan Murphy for the Flying Squirrels.
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