Fisher Cats offense comes alive in series-clinching win

Photo/NH Fisher Cats

MANCHESTER, NH – All series long, the Somerset Patriots (4-5) powered their offense with the long ball. Sunday, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (6-3) showed some pop of their own, clubbing four homers in a 13-9 victory at Delta Dental Stadium. New Hampshire took its fourth of the six-game set, winning the series.

All series long, the Somerset Patriots (4-5) powered their offense with the long ball. Sunday, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (6-3) showed some pop of their own, clubbing four homers in a 13-9 victory at Delta Dental Stadium. New Hampshire took its fourth of the six-game set, winning the series.

All three Fisher Cats outfielders cleared the fence; right fielder Alan Roden bashed two-run homers in both the fourth and fifth innings, and left fielder Gabby Martinez and center fielder Garrett Spain both mashed solo shots. Sunday marks the third straight day Spain has homered.

Martinez got the Fisher Cat scoring started with his two-out bomb over the left field wall in the bottom first, but Somerset put up four in three innings against New Hampshire starter C.J. Van Eyk. The Cats woke up in the bottom of the third, as shortstop Josh Kasevich doubled — extending his hit streak to six games — to score Roden, and Spain knocked in Roden and Martinez with a two-bagger, tying the game at four apiece.

That sparked the flame for the Fisher Cat offense. Third baseman Michael Turconi drilled a deep fly ball to center field, which tipped off the mitt of Patriots outfielder Elijah Dunham; Turconi ended up on third. Second baseman Miguel Hiraldo then smoked a grounder under second baseman Aaron Palensky’s glove, scoring Turconi. Both plays were ruled as errors. Catcher Andrés Sosa bounced a double down the third base line, bringing in Hiraldo. Then came the first of Roden’s two home runs: a towering blast that clanged off the scoreboard in right-center. The four spot put the Fisher Cats ahead 8-4.

Four runs also came across in the bottom of the fifth. After first baseman Rainer Nuñez walked, Turconi and Hiraldo ignited another rally. The former lined a double in the right-center gap, and the latter singled to score both Nuñez and Turconi. With Hiraldo on first, Roden, reaching out for an off-speed pitch, golfed another home run to right. New Hampshire’s right fielder finished the day two-for-four with four RBI. Spain tacked on a solo shot in the sixth, his fourth of the year, which leads the team.

Somerset stormed back with five runs in the top of the seventh to cut the New Hampshire lead to 13-9. Righty arms Trent Palmer and Hunter Gregory combined to stop the Patriot push. Ian Churchill and Jimmy Burnette tossed scoreless eighth and ninth innings, respectively, and the Fisher Cats tied a bow on their second series win.


Click here to reserve tickets for an upcoming NH Fisher Cats game.