MANCHESTER – Despite a strong outing from starter Gage Stanifer, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (26-23) squandered a late lead and fell to the Altoona Curve (22-30) on Tuesday night at Delta Dental Stadium, 8-3.

Center fielder Jace Bohrofen and first baseman Sean Keys swatted back-to-back first-inning home runs in the loss.

Fisher Cats starter Gage Stanifer allowed two runs on four hits, surrendered a pair of walks and struck out eight batters. Stanifer compiled his fourth five-inning start in his last five outings. LHP Kai Peterson twirled two scoreless innings of relief and struck out three. Reliever Yondrei Rojas tossed a scoreless eighth and escaped a jam. RHP Sam Gardner (L, 0-1) allowed six runs on four hits and suffered his first loss with New Hampshire.

Curve lefty Connor Wietgrefe held the Cats to one run in five innings of relief with seven strikeouts. Reliever Cy Nielson (W, 1-1) struck out two batters in two shutout frames.

Altoona did not waste any time plating the game’s first run. After shortstop Keiner Delgado led off the game with a walk, catcher Derek Berg doubled him in to give the Curve a 1-0 lead.

The Fisher Cats quickly bounced back with the back-to-back homers from Bohrofen (12) and Keys (13) in the bottom of the first to take a 2-1 advantage.

The Curve knotted Tuesday’s game back up in the top of the third inning. The shortstop Delgado singled to lead off the frame, and center fielder Lonnie White Jr. belted a double to the left-center wall to move Tuesday’s score to 2-2.

New Hampshire rallied in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, shortstop Jay Harry knocked a triple to the right-center wall, his fourth of the season. One batter later, third baseman Nick Goodwin laced a single off Altoona shortstop Delgado’s glove for a base hit into left field to break the 2-2 tie and put New Hampshire up, 3-2.

Despite the late lead, Altoona rallied in the top of the ninth and scored six runs on four hits. After the Curve tied the game, a White Jr. fielder’s choice coupled with an error allowed two runs to cross and the Cats fell behind for the first time since the top of the first. The Fisher Cats were retired in order in the bottom of the ninth and fell in the Tuesday opener, 8-3.

New Hampshire and Altoona Curve continue the series tonight at 6:03. RHP Austin Cates (1-2, 5.40 ERA) will start for the Fisher Cats and the Curve’s will counter with righty Landon Tomkins (2-1, 4.91 ERA). Coverage begins at 5:43 p.m. on WKXL, Bally Live, MLB.tv, MiLB.tv, and the Fisher Cats Radio Network.