RICHMOND, Va. – The New Hampshire Fisher Cats have a chance to end their southern road trip with a split record, earning a 7-6 victory over the Richmond Flying Squirrels on Saturday.
Forrest Wall got the ball rolling for the ‘Cats with a solo home run in the first, but New Hampshire didn’t take charge until the third. There, four straight hits transformed into four runs off Richmond starting pitcher Brandon Beachy.
Johneshwy Fargas needed just one swing of the bat to put the Squirrels back into the contest, notching a three-run homer half an inning later, but New Hampshire responded in the fourth courtesy of Nash Knight’s RBI double.
Richmond quickly in turn responded to that response, bringing New Hampshire’s lead down ton one by the end of the fourth, but New Hampshire’s bullpen shut things down the rest of the way, excluding Jackson McClelland’s implosion in the ninth.
McClelland left without recording an out after facing three batters, and he’d be responsible for Richmond’s final run, but Joshua Palacios’ RBI double earlier in the ninth made that run insufficient on its own. Bryan Baker managed to retire the side after McClelland’s departure, giving him his fifth save of the year.
Dany Jimenez earned his first win of the year, allowing just win hit and one walk in the seventh and eighth. Beachy got the loss, giving up nine hits and a walk during his six-inning appearance, striking out nine Fisher Cats in the process.
At the plate, Fargas and Zach Houtchins each had two hits each for Richmond while wall and Vinny Capra notched a pair of hits for the Fisher Cats. Eight Fisher Cats had at least one hit, and six had at least one RBI, with Brock Lundquist finishing with a pair.
The series concludes at 1:05 p.m. on Sunday as New Hampshire sends Yennsy Diaz (4-5, 3.92 ERA) against Richmond’s Alfred Gutierrez (3-3, 4.58 ERA).