Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski Curve 1st base coach Oneil Cruz (right) low-fives Curve's Diego Castillo on his 2-run homer in the bottom of the 1st inning.

Next stop

Tonight: Somerset at Altoona, 6:30 p.m.

Pitchers: Curve LHP Trey McGough (3-2, 3.79) vs. Patriots RHP Luis Medina (3-2, 4.43)

Record: 48-42

By Cory Giger

cgiger@altoonamirror.com

Nobody realized in the moment just how cool of a like father, like son story it truly was — except for the guy who hit the ball.

He knew it, and was all smiles telling the story about it after Wednesday night’s game at Peoples Natural Gas Field.

Curve outfielder Daniel Amaral crushed a two-run, walk-off homer over the wall in center field in the ninth inning for a thrilling 6-5 win over Somerset, the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees.

“It was a surreal moment, seriously,” Amaral said. “I’ve never hit a walk-off home run, so that’s something that I’ll always cherish.”

The memorable moment, it turns out, also has a cool backstory.

Twenty-six years ago, on May 29, 1995, the Seattle Mariners beat the New York Yankees, 8-7, on a walk-off home run hit by none other than Rich Amaral, Daniel’s dad.

The younger Amaral took a lot of pride in telling that story to reporters on a Zoom call after the game, particularly noting that both walk-off home runs were hit against a Yankees opponent.

‘A blur’

Somerset scored in the top of the ninth to grab a 5-4 lead in a back-and-forth game. The Curve got a one-out single from Cal Mitchell in the bottom of the ninth, bringing Amaral to the plate.

On a 2-1 pitch from reliever Michael Gomez (3-2), Amaral crushed a shot to dead center that cleared the 405-foot green wall.

“I got it pretty good,” Amaral said of when he knew the ball was gone, “but you never know. It’s a pretty big park, and a lot of balls don’t go out right there.”

This one did, however, giving a struggling Curve team a good win against one of the best teams in the Northeast League.

At no point in his professional or even youth career had Amaral ever enjoyed the feeling of belting a walk-off homer.

“I haven’t hit many home runs in my life,” he said, after his seventh of the season won the game.

And as he approached home plate with all of his teammates waiting to celebrate with him, Amaral described the feeling this way:

“It’s a blur. It goes by really quick. It’s really cool.”

SUBHD: Stats and stuff

Diego Castillo hit a two-run homer for the Curve in the first inning, his 16th of the season, and he finished with three RBIs.

Mitchell had two hits for Altoona.

Cristofer Melendez (3-2) won in relief for the Curve. Starter Jeff Passantino allowed three runs on four hits over five innings.

The Curve pitching staff had been battered of late, but was just good enough Wednesday to pick up the win.

Thanks to Amaral’s home run heroics in beating a Yankees team.

Just like his dad.