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AKRON, OH. - Altoona's bullpen covered all nine innings and combined on a three-hit shutout in a 1-0 win over the Akron RubberDucks on Thursday night at 7 17 Credit Union Park.
Dominic Pipkin set the tone for the pitching staff and fired three scoreless frames to start the game. Making his first Double-A start, Pipkin allowed just one hit and two walks with four strikeouts. In the month of July, Pipkin has thrown 11.0 innings and allowed just two runs with 12 strikeouts.
Cristhian Tortosa followed Pipkin with three dominant innings of his own, allowing just one baserunner on 36 pitches. Tortosa, like Pipkin, struck out four batters and kept the game scoreless through six innings.
Another lefty, Brandon Neeck followed Tortosa and carried the game scoreless into the ninth inning with a pair of strikeouts of his own and a key double play ball induced in the eighth inning.
With two outs in the ninth inning, the Curve offense rallied for the game's only run. Murf Gray doubled down the left field line recording the only extra-base hit of the game. Lonnie White Jr. drove Gray home with a single to centerfield that gave the Curve a 1-0 lead.
Neeck returned to the mound in the bottom of the ninth and after he surrendered a leadoff single, he induced a double play ball and struck out Jacob Cozart looking to wrap up the win.
Curve pitchers combined to allow just three hits and four walks and struck out 11 RubberDucks.
Gray, who picked up a double and a walk, has reached base safely in all six games he's played for the Curve. White Jr. is 11-for-26 in six games since the All-Star break.