TRENTON, NJ – With the Fourth of July just hours away, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats escaped with a second win in their five-game series in New Jersey’s capital, defeating the Trenton Thunder, 4-1.
All four New Hampshire runs came in the second inning, thanks to home runs by Harold Ramirez and Cavan Biggio.
The game’s only other run also came on a homer, a first-pitch sixth inning blast toward the Delaware River by recently announced Eastern League Home Run Derby contestant Trey Amburgey.
After Amburgey, Trenton mustered just one hit the rest of the way, with Andrew Case’s 1-2-3 inning in the ninth giving him his sixth save of the year.
New Hampshire starting pitcher Josh DeGraaf left shortly after Amburgey’s home run, the only major error in 5 1/3 innnings of work.
DeGraaf (3-4) got the win while Brian Keller (6-6) was the tough luck loser for the Thunder, scattering five hits in seven innings.
Amburgey ended the night 3-for-4 while Biggio, Ramirez and Juan Kelly ended with two hits apiece for the Fisher Cats.
The Fisher Cats now return to New Hampshire for a four-game set against the Reading Fightin’ Phils. Justin Dillon (1-3, 7.76 ERA) takes the mound for New Hampshire against Reading’s Tyler Viza (0-3, 7.54 ERA), with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m.