Patriots 4, Fisher Cats 3
- Updated: May 4, 2024
BRIDGEWATER, N.J. – The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (11-14) dropped a 4-3 decision to the Somerset Patriots (11-14) at TD Bank Ballpark Friday night.
New Hampshire pitchers combined for 10 strikeouts in the loss, but surrendered 10 walks. Of the nine Fisher Cats batters left on base, five of them were left in scoring position.
Center fielder Devonte Brown doubled off the left field wall in the top of the ninth, cutting the deficit to 4-3.
Fisher Cats starter Trent Palmer (L, 1-2) posted zeros in the first and second inning, but Somerset scored four runs over the next two frames.
Relievers Adrian Hernandez and Ryan Boyer combined to finish the fourth, then right-handers C.J. Van Eyk and Eric Pardinho twirled four scoreless frames and five of New Hampshire’s 10 strikeouts. Pardinho struck out Somerset’s top three hitters in the eighth.
Somerset southpaw Brock Selvidge (W, 2-1) struck out and walked two in his five-inning start and gave up two runs on four hits.
New Hampshire scored its first two runs in the top of the second to grab an early lead. Right fielder Garrett Spain walked with one out, stole second, then scored on designated hitter Riley Tirotta’s single to take a 1-0 lead. Tirotta advanced to second on the first Somerset error of the night, and ground balls from first baseman Rainer Nuñez and second baseman Miguel Hiraldo brought Tirotta across home to stretch the New Hampshire advantage to 2-0.
Somerset answered with four unanswered runs, beginning with RBI singles in the bottom of the third from Alexander Vargas and Ben Cowles to tie Friday’s game at 2-2.
The Patriots took the lead with two decisive runs in the bottom of the fourth on no hits. Five walks in the inning assisted Somerset to take a 4-2 lead, with two with the bases loaded.
New Hampshire’s offense was quiet until the ninth, when catcher Andres Sosa singled with two outs before Brown’s double to move the Somerset lead to 4-3.
The penultimate game of the series begins at 6:05 p.m. at TD Bank Ballpark on Saturday. Left-hander Trenton Wallace (1-0, 2.16 ERA) faces Somerset right-hander Zach Messinger (0-2, 5.14 ERA). Pregame coverage on the Fisher Cats Radio Network begins at 5:40 p.m.
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