CURVE, Pa. – Altoona was held without a hit into the seventh inning by Somerset pitching, as the Curve dropped their series opener to the Patriots, 6-1, on Tuesday night at PNG Field.

Alessandro Ercolani and Nick Dombkowski combined for six innings of two run ball, allowing just two solo homers to Somerset. Dombkowski has allowed just two runs in nine innings pitched to begin the season.

Somerset’s Brendan Beck set down 17 straight hitters to begin his outing until Aaron McKeithan reached on an error in the sixth inning. Beck got the next hitter to bounce out softly to the mound and complete his best outing as a professional, six innings of no-hit ball with five strikeouts.

Trailing 2-0 in the seventh, Mitch Jebb drew a leadoff walk in the inning against Cole Percival and after a strikeout by Sammy Siani, Jack Brannigan drew the team’s second walk of the inning. With men at second and third and one out, Nick Cimillo, reached on an infield single to plate Jebb and make it a 2-1 game. The Curve stranded two men on base in the seventh as Percival maneuvered out of trouble.

Somerset put the game away with four ninth inning runs against the Curve bullpen. Cristofer Melendez allowed four runs on three hits and two walks and recorded just one out before Emmanuel Chapman entered and stranded two Patriots on base.

The Curve continue their six-game series with the Somerset Patriots on Wednesday afternoon at 12:05 p.m. The Curve will send LHP Hunter Barco to the mound, Somerset is slated to start RHP Bailey Dees.