HARTFORD, Conn. – Two late home runs proved to be the difference on Friday night as the New Hampshire Fisher Cats defeated the Hartford Yard Goats, 5-2.
New Hampshire found itself at a 2-1 advantage heading into the eighth inning when those home runs arrived, a three-run blast first from Kevin Vicuña, followed later by a solo shot by Demi Orimoloye. The home runs were the first of the year for Vicuña and Orimolye respectively, with Vicuña bringing Jordan Groshans home earlier in the contest on a first pitch single to left in the fourth inning.
Groshans also was one of the three runs on Vicuña’s eighth inning blast, and he would contribute a pair of walks as well.
In addition to the pair of hits from Vicuña, New Hampshire also got two hits each from Orimoloye and Austin Martin.
On the mound, Reilly Hovis saw one unearned run off two hits and three walks over his five inning start. The win would go to Graham Spraker (2-0), for his work retiring the Yard Goats in the seventh. Jon Harris earned his second hold of the year for retiring Hartford in order in the eighth and Kyle Johnston did the same in the ninth to give him his first save of the year.
The two teams are at it again on Saturday at 6:05 p.m. as New Hampshire sends Johnny Barbato (0-2, 5.14 ERA) to the mound against Hartford’s Ryan Feltner.