Patriots 5, Fisher Cats 3
- Updated: July 12, 2025
BRIDGEWATER, NJ – The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (5-11, 34-51) dropped their fourth straight game to the Somerset Patriots (11-5, 45-39) at TD Bank Ballpark on Friday night, 5-3.
Trailing 5-3 in the top of the eighth inning, New Hampshire threatened with runners on first and third with two outs but failed to convert. Fisher Cats reliever Pat Gallagher highlighted the night by recording six strikeouts of his seven outs of relief recorded.
New Hampshire starter Juaron Watts-Brown faced the minimum in the bottom of the first inning before walking the first three batters he faced in the second. Watts-Brown walked four batters and allowed two earned runs and no hits in 1-2/3 innings pitched before Gallagher (L, 2-2) entered in relief.
Top takeaways:
- RHP Pat Gallagher collects six strikeouts in seven outs of relief
- RHP Geison Urbaez tosses 2-1/3 scoreless frames
- OF Gabriel Martinez records two hits, drives in one run
- DH Robert Brooks knocks lone extra base hit
Making his Double-A debut, New Hampshire’s Chay Yeager entered the bottom of the fifth inning and allowed two runs on three hits with one walk and one strikeout in 1-2/3 frames. Reliever Geison Urbaez kept New Hampshire close by holding Somerset to two hits over the final 2-1/3 innings.
Somerset left-hander Ben Shields (W, 1-0) got the start for the Patriots and notched his first win of the season with two earned runs on three hits and seven strikeouts over five innings. Mason Vinyard followed with 1-2/3 innings of scoreless relief with two punchouts before Danny Watson surrendered one run and fanned two in one inning. Patriots reliever Kelly Austin (S, 6) recorded the final four outs with one strikeout.
Somerset tallied the scoreboard first in the bottom of the second inning when the Patriots loaded the bases on three consecutive walks. Shortstop Max Burt worked an 11-pitch walk to plate the first run before designated hitter Brendan Jones walked to make it 2-0.
New Hampshire responded in the top of the fourth inning when right fielder Gabriel Martinez walked and scored from first on designated hitter Robert Brooks’ double. First baseman Alex De Jesus followed with a single to cash in Brooks from second to knot the score at 2-2.
The Patriots extended their lead in the bottom of the fourth inning when Jones singled to bring in third baseman Tyler Hardman to give Somerset a 3-2 advantage. Somerset took a three-run lead thanks to solo homers from second baseman Dylan Jasso in the bottom of the fifth inning and right fielder Cam Eden in the sixth that made it 5-2.
New Hampshire clawed back in the top of the eighth inning after leading off the frame with a pair of singles. With two outs in the inning, Martinez drilled a single to left field to score one run but the Fisher Cats failed to score runs after that to fall, 5-3.
The series continues with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch on Saturday night. New Hampshire sends Alex Amalfi (3-6 5.72 ERA) to the mound for his third start of the season, and Trystan Vrieling (1-2, 5.40 ERA) gets the start for Somerset.
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