Curve jump out to quick lead in beating Bowie
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The Altoona Curve jumped out to an early lead and never looked back in their 8-1 victory over Bowie in front of 4,091 at PNG Field Friday night.
"I think for the group to throw the first punch in that way was really good, and it was a combo punch," Altoona Curve manager Callix Crabbe said following the game. "It wasn't just one jab. It was like boom, boom, boom, boom."
Henry Davis and Liover Peguero earned back-to-back walks to set up Domingo Leyba for his two-run double to give Altoona an early two run lead. Leyba went on to score on Jacob Gonzalez's line-drive single later in the inning.
The 3-0 lead after the first was all the Curve needed, but it's not all they got as Connor Scott tripled home Peguero in the third inning to give Altoona a 5-0 advantage.
Despite a 43-minute rain delay in the top of the eighth inning, the Curve came out firing on all cylinders in the home half adding three more insurance runs.
Gonzalez plated Peguero with another RBI single before Fabricio Macias hit a sacrifice fly to score Leyba. Andres Alvarez kept the scoring alive with an RBI double to score Gonzalez and wrap up the scoring for Altoona.
Domingo dominant
Third baseman Domingo Leyba continued his dominant April with a 3-for-4 night against the Baysox.
As for what's helping Leyba be successful so far, Crabbe summed it up rather simply.
"He's staying in the strike zone," Crabbe said. "You're talking about someone that has a slow heartbeat and has obviously played at the highest level of the game. He still has that drive to continue to be a good player."
Leyba doubled, scored twice and notched two first inning RBIs to put the Curve ahead early.
He's currently hitting a team-leading .378 on the season.
Peguero swipes three
Liover Peguero went 2-for-3 scoring three runs on the night, but it was on the bases where his presence was felt the most.
Not only did Peguero notch two singles, he swiped three bases on the night to bring his total to four on the season. Those steals ultimately led to Peguero scoring half of the runs the Curve offense scored Friday night.
Next up
RHP Aaron Shortridge gets the call Saturday while RHP Kyle Nicolas will take the mound Sunday for Altoona.
Shortridge is 1-1 with a 8.00 ERA on the season. He's struggled in two of his three starts giving up three or more runs.
Nicolas was superb in his start Tuesday going six innings and allowing only one run on three hits.