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RICHMOND, Va. -- Noe Toribio worked around the game-tying run at third base in the bottom of the 10th inning with three-straight strikeouts as Altoona picked up a series-evening win in Richmond, 5-4, on Wednesday night.
Toribio entered in the ninth inning for Altoona with the Curve holding a one-run lead. Hayden Cantrelle was hit by a pitch with one out and Robert Emery drew a critical two-out walk to extend the inning. Simon Whiteman then drove a ball into left field to score Cantrelle and tie the game, but Emery was thrown out at third base to end the inning.
In the top of the 10th, Domingo Leyba knocked an RBI-single off Raymond Burgos to score Liover Peguero to put Altoona back ahead. A Toribio wild pitch advanced the placed runner Whiteman to third with no outs in the bottom of the 10th, but Toribio struck out the next three batters to end the game.
The Curve scored three runs in the top of the first inning. Peguero opened the contest with a single and scored from first base on a single to left field two batters later by Leyba. Matt Gorski then launched a two-run home run off Richmond starter Nick Zwack to make it a 3-0 game. It was Gorski's third home run of the season.
Richmond answered in the bottom of the first inning off Justin Meis. Carter Aldrete drew a bases-loaded walk to bring one run across. Meis worked around the loaded bases to work two outs and get out of the frame with 39 pitches thrown. It was the only inning for Meis, who walked three batters and struck out two.
Carter Williams hammered a game-tying two run home run in the fourth off Curve reliever Travis MacGregor. MacGregor had retired seven batters in a row after entering in the second inning before issuing a walk to Cantrelle before the Williams home run. He struck out a season-high five batters in three innings of work with no walks.
Peguero broke the tie game with his first home run of the season in the top of the fifth off Matt Frisbee, a solo shot to left center field.
Matt Eckelman and Tyler Samaniego combined for four scoreless innings for the Curve, with Eckelman striking out two batters in three innings and Samaniego striking out the side in the eighth. Altoona struck out 16 batters, its most in a game this season.
Next stop
Tonight: Altoona Curve at Richmond Flying Squirrels, 6:35 p.m.
Pitchers: Curve RHP Sean Sullivan vs. Squirrels RHP Mason Black
Curve record: 11-10