Mitch Jebb helped propel the Altoona Curve to a 6-4 win over the Somerset Patriots Thursday night at PNG Field in front of 3,121 fans.

The Curve overcame a two-run deficit in the first inning by scoring three of their own runs in the home half of the inning, thanks to Termarr Johnson scoring on Sammy Siani’s single, plus a two-run single from Jack Brannigan that brought home Jebb and Siani.

“It shows a lot about this team,” Jebb said. “We’re a tight-knit group of guys and it doesn’t matter, you know what inning it is, we’re always pulling together, pulling the same rope. It could be any inning where we have a good inning so it was big time.”

Altoona starter Wilber Dotel allowed another run in the top of the second as the Patriots tied the game on a Diomedes Hernandez double.

Curve starter Wilber Dotel delivers a pitch. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

It was Jebb who came through with runners on this time, as he notched a two-run single to give the Curve a 5-3 lead, one they wouldn’t relinquish.

The game served as another quality performance by an offense that had been having success at the plate, but it was not resulting in wins or runs.

“We’ve been swinging the bats much better,” Altoona manager Andy Fox said. “Even in Akron I felt we swung the bats better. And sure, we lost the first night here, but thought we had some good at bats. We’re starting to string hits together and get some traffic out there.”

Situational hitting has been an emphasis for the Curve and thanks to Jebb, they were able to come through when they needed it the most.

“I didn’t really try to change anything at all,” Jebb said. “I just tried to execute my approach, it’s how the game works out if you stick to your plan. You can’t try to force anything so just stick to your plan. At the end of the day it worked out, got the job done, and that’s it.”

Tough bullpen

With Dotel going only 4• innings, the Altoona bullpen was tasked with holding off a potent Somerset offense. And that they did as they threw 4ª innings of shutout baseball.

Jaden Woods took over and allowed only one hit in 1ª innings of work while notching three strikeouts and walking only one.

Justin Meis hurled the seventh and eighth innings and worked through allowing four hits and a walk, but didn’t allow a run to cross the plate.

“They were great. They threw strikes,” Fox said. “They were able to navigate traffic and really give up no damage and I think that that’s the big part. You understand guys are going to get on base, but being able to execute pitches in those situations and that those are things that help you win games.”

Kings for a night

The Curve donned Altoona Rail Kings jerseys for the first time this season. They’ll be wearing the jerseys as an ode to their professional predecessors every Thursday home game this season.

The Rail Kings played at Veterans Memorial Field in Altoona in 1996 and 1997. They were an independent team who played in the North American League in 1996 and the Heartland League in 1997

Up next

Altoona will have southpaw Anthony Solometo on the rubber tonight. Solometo is 1-0 with a 0.90 ERA in two outings this season for the Curve.