ALTOONA — The Altoona Curve fell 5-3 to Richmond in the series and pre-break finale Sunday afternoon in Eastern League action at Peoples Natural Gas Field.

Richmond (10-7) scored three times off starter Connor Oliver, who made his second start of the series, and spun two innings. He allowed three earned runs on four hits including a two-run homer from Richmond’s Jean Carlos Sio.

Altoona (7-11) stole four bases in the game, two after a first inning single from Keiner Delgado; who scored on a sacrifice fly from Derek Berg. The Curve offense was held quiet by starter Trystan Vrieling who allowed just one hit over six innings.

Lonnie White Jr. blasted a solo homer in the seventh inning to make it a 5-2 game and the Curve inched a run closer with an RBI single from Duce Gourson in the eighth. However, Richmond’s bullpen stranded two on base in the eighth and didn’t allow a baserunner in the ninth to secure the win.

On the mound, Brandon Neeck fired 2.1 scoreless frames of relief after the two-inning start from Oliver.

Neeck struck out the side in the sixth on ten pitches. Jaycob Deese, Josh Loeschorn and Jake Shirk combined to cover the final seven innings on the mound.

Callan Moss and Titus Dumitru each lost their lengthy on-base streaks in the loss. Moss’ 15-game stretch and Dumitru’s 14-game streak both came to an end via 0-for-4 days.

Richmond and Altoona have split two of their three series this season. The Flying Squirrels swept out the Curve at CarMax Park in April, and Altoona has forced a split in the following two against the first-half champions.

Altoona will be off until Friday for the All-Star break before traveling to Reading for a three-game series with the Fightin Phils.

UP NEXT

Altoona will send LHP Dominic Perachi to the mound in the series opener, first pitch is set for 7 p.m.

In other minor league action on Sunday:

IRONBIRDS 5, SPIKES 3

ABERDEEN, Md. — Isaiah Parido ripped a three-run triple and CJ Richmond homered to account for the Aberdeen Ironbirds’ offense in a 5-3 victory over the State College Spikes in MLB Draft League action on Sunday, in Aberdeen, Md.

Parido’s triple cleared the bases and gave Aberdeen (3-2) a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Richmond belted his third homer of the season to right center field in the second to make it a 5-0 game.

The Spikes’ Stan DeMartinis hit his first home run of the season to left in the sixth. That rallied the Spikes (3-2) within 5-2.

State College hosts Williamsport on Tuesday.