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Jesus Castillo's walk-off single gave the Altoona Curve a 4-3 win over the Chesapeake Baysox Sunday night at PNG Field.
A crowd of 3,785 was on hand to see Castillo's bases-loaded heroics as he scored Titus Dumitru from third base.
"He chased a pitch early and then was able to reset and get a ball in the strike zone," Altoona manager Andy Fox said. "It's a fister, but they all count. You put the ball in play, good things happen."
Dumitru brought home three against the Baysox, capped off by his RBI double in the ninth to tie the game at three after he drove in two in the bottom of the sixth inning.
"I'm just trying not to do too much," Dumitru said. "A lot of times, guys will go up there, and myself included, I'll go up there and try to hit a homer and be a hero. I think it's actually the opposite. Just try to get the barrel on the ball."
That approach was put on display often even in the at bats he was unable to plate runners.
"He swung the bat great," Fox said. "He hit two balls hard with guys at third base, less than two outs and didn't get rewarded. Then he gets the two-run single, and then you know he ends up hitting the double there to tie it up."
Chesapeake's Thomas Sosa hit a single up the middle to score Victor Figuroa to give the Baysox a 3-2 lead. Figuroa reached on an error to start the inning and stole second base before scoring on Sosa's hit to set the stage for Dumitru's game-tying double and Castillo's heroics.
Being able to come through late was a big deal for Fox's squad.
"It's huge, even with a letdown in the ninth," Fox said. "We start the inning with an error, and then you know we're not able to hold the runner at first, and then next thing you know, a base hit. When you play these one-run games, details matter, and one little play here or there can end up costing you."
Gray skies
Sunday's game was moved up 30 minutes due to impending weather, and gray skies filled the sky throughout the game.
Things got grayer after rising prospect Murf Gray got hit twice in the left hand/wrist area. He was removed as a precautionary measure.
"You understand when it's intentional and when it's not," Fox said. "Those are balls that are sinkers that are running in, and they just happen to grab his hand."
Splendid starters
Both starters went deep into the game with Altoona's Connor Oliver allowing one run in six innings of work. He allowed two hits, one walk and had five strikeouts.
His lone blemish was a solo home run to Doug Hodo III in the sixth inning. It marked only the third time this season where Oliver went six innings or more.
"He had a good changeup going," Fox said. "He was able to land his breaking ball, and he had command of his fastball. I mean, it's probably one of his better outings since he's been here."
Chesapeake starter Evan Yates went 6ª innings and allowed two runs. Curve hitters scattered four hits on Yates, who walked two and had zero strikeouts.
Saturday scaries
Seventeen hits weren't enough for Altoona to outlast Chesapeake Saturday night in a 9-8 loss. The Baysox scored twice in the ninth inning to secure the victory.
Six different Curve hitters had multi-hit nights, including Matt King, Lonnie White Jr., Dumitru, Will Taylor, Callan Moss and Javier Rivas.
Hug watch
Catcher Omar Alfonzo was dealt to the New York Yankees prior to Saturday's contest. He was part of a package that brought relief pitcher Camilo Doval to Pittsburgh.
Up next
Altoona heads to Erie to take on the first-place SeaWolves in a six-game series beginning on Tuesday.