ALTOONA – Nutzy was no match for Elmo and the Altoona Curve on Sunday. Since Altoona’s 0-12 start this season, the Curve have posted a winning record.

A win in Sunday’s tilt with first-place Richmond would put Altoona at 8-6 since that disastrous opening skid and mean a respectable 3-3 record during the six-game set.

The Flying Squirrels scored a pair of runs in the top of the first inning as Altoona came away with a 7-2 win Sunday in Eastern League action on Sesame Street Day at Peoples Natural Gas Field. (Of course, Nutzy is the Squirrels’ mascot.)

Bo Davidson smacked an RBI single to right and the Squirrels (20-6) scored a second run on a throwing error to grab an early lead. Altoona (8-18) answered in its half of the frame as Jack Brannigan belted his third home run of the season to left center field.

The Curve took the lead for good in the third as Derek Berg singled and scored when Keiner Delgado homered for the second time this season. Altoona put the game out of reach in the eighth with a four-spot as Brannigan and Omar Alfonzo both singled and Moss drove in Brannigan with another single. After Duce Gourson walked to load the bases, Will Taylor walked to force in a run and Berg rapped a run-scoring single and Gourson scored on a double-play ball.

Brannigan and Berg each had two hits for the Curve as did Jonah Cox for Richmond.

Connor Wietgrefe earned the win for Altoona, pitching four innings, allowing two runs on four hits, striking out three and walking one. Greg Farone suffered the loss, allowing three runs on three hits, striking out five and walking two.

Altoona opens a six-game set at Chesapeake in Bowie, Md., on Tuesday.