Patriots 11, Fisher Cats 4

MANCHESTER – For the first eight innings of Friday night’s game at Delta Dental Stadium, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (27-33) and the Somerset Patriots (39-21) were neck and neck. Then, the Patriots added seven runs in the top of the ninth, and New Hampshire lost, 11-4.

Starter Nick Fraze stole the show early, carrying a no-hitter into the fifth inning. The righty from Texas State University struck out six batters in his first three innings and allowed just one baserunner (walk). He finished with 5.0 innings of work, allowing three hits and two earned runs. He walked one and struck out seven.

Orelvis Martinez made a running throw on a soft grounder, and Rafael Lantigua made a diving stop at second base to help keep Fraze’s no-hit bid intact.

Catcher Phil Clarke and first baseman LJ Talley each blasted a two-run homer early in the game to carry New Hampshire to a 4-0 lead. Clarke’s home run was his fourth of the season and first since May 25 at Akron. Talley’s dinger was crushed off the videoboard in right-center field. He has eight RBIs this month in 10 games, and he had five RBIs in May in 13 games.

Rafael Lantigua had a good night at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double in his 13th multi-hit game of the season. He and Spencer Horwitz are tied for first on the team in multi-hit games. Tanner Morris also had 13 with New Hampshire before he was promoted to Triple-A Buffalo.

Somerset punched back with two runs in the fifth inning off Fraze and another pair in the sixth off Cre Finfrock.

The game stayed tied, 4-4, into the top of the ninth inning. Somerset then added seven runs on five hits and two walks in the final frame. Catcher Ryan Gold came in to pitch and got the final two outs.

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