READING, Penn. – A seven-run seventh inning proved to be the difference, providing the New Hampshire Fisher Cats with their fourth straight road victory, a 7-2 win over the Reading Fightin’ Phils.
The game remained uneventful until New Hampshire’s rally, with only Reading’s first inning run separating the two sides until that point.
Patrick Cantwell began the ‘Cats onslaught with a first pitch single, the first of five in the inning.
Reading would take one run back in the bottom of the seventh thanks to Deivi Grullon’s RBI double. However, that would be all as Brady Bouchey and Nick Hartman shined in their Fisher Cat debuts. Bouchey would come in after the double to retire the side, keeping Reading hitless in the eighth, followed by a three-batter inning for Hartman in the ninth.
The two runs were the only blemishes on another outstanding performance by Fisher Cats starting pitcher Jordan Romano, who allowed five hits in 6 2/3 innings of work, striking seven Fightins’ to put him at 51 for the season, two strikeouts short of the league lead currently held by Bowie’s Keegan Akin.
Romano’s strong outing mirrored the quality given by Reading’s Jose Taveras, who made his 2018 debut.
Taveras wouldn’t factor in the decision, departing one out into the sixth, just short of New Hampshire’s offensive cavalcade.
Before leaving, he allowed only two hits, singles to Cantwell and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The loss would instead go to Austin Davis (0-1), marking his first appearance since demotion from Triple-A Lehigh Valley last week.
Cantwell ended the day with three hits and Guerrero ended the day with two while Zach Green led the way for Reading, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk.
The two teams faceoff again on Wednesday in Reading with first pitch scheduled for 6:45 p.m.