MANCHESTER, NH – The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (16-24) fell to the Somerset Patriots (19-21) at Delta Dental Stadium on Wednesday afternoon, 4-1. Right-hander Grant Rogers retired the first 13 batters he faced and allowed two earned runs on three hits, with five strikeouts across five innings of work.
Left fielder Yohendrick Piñango moved his on-base streak to 12 games with a pair of walks. Centerfielder Dasan Brown and third baseman Cade Doughty led the way offensively with multi-hit games, including Doughty’s RBI-double in the bottom of the ninth inning to plate the Cats lone run.
Rogers (L, 0-1) struck out four through four no-hit innings until Somerset designated hitter Cole Gabrielson reached on an infield single with one out in the top of the fifth. Gabrielson reached second on a Fisher Cats’ throwing error and right fielder Grant Richardson took a free pass to put runners on first and second. Rogers picked up a looking strikeout for the second out, but catcher Antonio Gomez followed with RBI double to the right-center gap to give Somerset a 2-0 lead. Another New Hampshire error on the infield extended the inning for shortstop George Lombard Jr. to knock a two-out single and move the Patriots’ lead to 3-0.
Somerset righty Cam Schlittler (W, 3-4) waved eight Fisher Cats and worked around baserunners in each of his six innings of work, surrendering six hits and two walks.
The Patriots plated their fourth run on Gomez’s second RBI base-hit of the game with a one-out single to score Richardson with no outs in the top of the seventh inning. Fisher Cats’ reliever Johnathan Lavallee was able to escape the seventh with a double-play and a groundout with Somerset in front, 4-0.
The Fisher Cats saw two scoreless relief outings from right-handers Hunter Gregory and Justin Kelly. Gregory entered the sixth frame and faced the minimum with a pick-off to end the frame. Kelly tossed 12 pitches, allowed one hit and struck out two to keep the Patriots’ bats at bay in the top of the ninth inning.
New Hampshire scored its only run when Brown led off the bottom of the ninth with a single before Doughty tucked a two-strike pitch down the third baseline and Brown dashed home from first to cut into the Patriots’ lead, 4-1. With Doughty on second, Somerset reliever Luis Pacheco polished off the bottom of the ninth inning with two strikeouts to secure the Patriots’ third-straight win.