
MANCHESTER, NH — The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (6-17, 36-55) took down the Reading Fightin Phils (10-14, 41-52) at Delta Dental Stadium Friday, 7-3. The Cats scored in bunches: three runs in the third and four in the eighth.
For the second straight night, the Fisher Cats offense came through in high-pressure moments. Michael Turconi drilled a two-run single in the third to put New Hampshire in front. In the eighth, Garrett Spain lined a bases-loaded, two-out single off the pitcher before Glenn Santiago crushed a 3-RBI double. The Cats finished the game 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
Turconi, Spain and Ryan McCarty combined for six of New Hampshire’s eight hits. McCarty smacked doubles in his first two at bats. He now has 10 in 35 Double-A games.
New Hampshire southpaw Trenton Wallace (W, 4-3) went five innings and racked up eight strikeouts. He allowed three hits, two of which were solo home runs in the second inning. Wallace retired the last six batters he faced. His 2.68 ERA is still the best in the Eastern League.
After extra-base hits in the first and second, the Cats’ offense came alive in the third against Reading starter Samuel Aldegheri (L, 0-2). Devonte Brown started the rally with a one-out walk, advanced to second on a Josh Kasevich single, then came around to score on McCarty’s second double of the night. Turconi delivered a two-out single up the middle to score Kasevich and McCarty, and put New Hampshire ahead, 3-2.
Adrian Hernandez, Braydon Fisher – on his 24th birthday – and Ryan Boyer tossed scoreless innings in the sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively.
The Fisher Cats broke the game open after loading the bases in the bottom of the eighth. McCarty and Rainer Nuñez worked back-to-back walks, then Turconi slapped an opposite-field single to load the bases. Spain drilled a liner off the mitt of Reading pitcher Daniel Harper to score McCarty, then Santiago demolished a Harper cutter into right-center. Nuñez, Turconi and Spain all touched home, and the Cats took a 7-2 lead.
Reading scored a harmless run in the ninth before Jimmy Burnette sealed the deal.