Fisher Cats 10, Patriots 9
- Updated: May 3, 2024
BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (11-13) clawed out an exhilarating 10-9 win over the Somerset Patriots (10-14) at TD Bank Stadium Thursday night.
The Fisher Cats offense rattled off 17 hits, its best mark of the season. Thursday’s game experienced four different lead changes and was tied three times.
Reliever Trevor Clifton (W, 1-1) struck out three batters in 1 1/3 innings of work. Leading 9-8 into the bottom of the eighth, New Hampshire turned to lefty Jimmy Burnette for the potential six-out save. After a scoreless eighth, Burnette departed with the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the ninth for fellow southpaw Ian Churchill (S, 1) to deliver the final out.
New Hampshire shortstop Josh Kasevich led the offense with a 3-for-4 performance with two doubles and drove in four runs. Kasevich was one of six Cats to record multiple hits. His 20 RBIs leads all Eastern League hitters.
Center fielder Garrett Spain’s ninth-inning solo home run (6) proved to be the difference in the ballgame.
Somerset scored two runs in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead. New Hampshire responded in a hurry — the Fisher Cats posted five runs in the top of the second. Right fielder Devonte Brown got the action started with a single, Spain reached on a fielder’s choice and designated hitter Rainer Nuñez jammed a single up the middle. First baseman Andres Sosa walked to score Brown, then left fielder Alan Roden singled in Spain and Nuñez, catcher Phil Clarke knocked in Sosa and Kasevich drove home Roden. The six Cats hits made it 5-2.
The Patriots struck back with a run in the bottom of the second and two more in the third, tying the ballgame at 5-5. Second baseman Michael Turconi led off the top of the fourth with a single, extending his on-base streak to a team-high 13 games, then raced to third on a Sosa single. Roden brought Turconi home for his third RBI of the night and put New Hampshire back in front 6-5.
Nuñez’s second hit of the night started a sixth-inning spurt. Sosa and Clarke both singled to load the bases, then Kasevich ripped his first double, a 2-RBI bouncer down the first base line. After the top of the sixth, New Hampshire led 8-5. Somerset fought back, posting one in the sixth and two in the seventh which tied the seesaw affair at 8-8.
The Fisher Cats got the last laugh, breaking the tie in the top of the eighth. Turconi led off with another single, stole second, and Kasevich once again delivered in the clutch. The shortstop’s second double to right field plated his double-play partner and put New Hampshire in front 9-8. Spain smacked his solo home run to lead off the ninth and double the Cats’ advantage.
The Patriots remained feisty; Somerset loaded the bases and scored one on a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the ninth, but Churchill came in and retired Yankees’ No. 2 prospect Spencer Jones to end the ballgame.
The two teams regroup before Friday’s 6:35 p.m. ET first pitch at TD Bank Ballpark. Right-hander Trent Palmer (1-1, 5.11 ERA) faces Somerset lefty Brock Selvidge (1-1, 1.71 ERA).
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