Cole Leads Curve to Victory in Altoona Debut

The UCLA product didn't wait long to record his first Double-A strikeout, fanning the second batter of the game in Rock Cats' catcher Chris Herrmann.  His first three innings were spotless with the first nine men up to see him summarily dismissed in order. Cole struck out the middle man in each of his first three innings before surrendering his first two hits and first run in the fourth. By that time, the Curve were already in control.

Altoona posted four tallies in the bottom of the first inning against a wild Brett Jacobson who got the starting nod opposite Cole for New Britain. Jacobson hit two men and issued a walk and a wild pitch in the first, adding up to the Curve's initial run, and the first hit for the home side was Quincy Latimore's two-out, three-run homer to stake Cole and Altoona to a 4-0 advantage.

Following New Britain's tally in the fourth, Jacobson (0-2) ran into more trouble, not recording an out in the fourth, his final inning of work. After a leadoff Stefan Welch walk and Drew Maggi single, Robbie Grossman tattooed the second Curve homer of the night out to right-center to extend Altoona's lead to 7-1. The Curve would tack on another in the inning against reliever Luis Perdomo, and the rout was on. Jacobson ended his day with seven runs charged to him on four hits with an ugly line of five walks, four wild pitches, and two hit batsmen to accompany it.

Cole finished off his night while allowing a run on three hits in the fifth, his final inning of work. In that frame, he also struck out two, both looking. The right-hander's final tally was 74 pitches with 52 thrown for strikes.