Fisher Cats 9, Curve 8

Box Score

New Hampshire starter Chris McElvain allowed seven earned runs on six hits and five walks across 3-1/3 innings. RHP Kelena Sauer followed with 2-2/3 innings of one-run ball out of the bullpen. Reliever Caleb Freeman pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth and righty Yondrei Rojas did the same in the ninth and 10th.

Sam Gardner (W, 1-1) secured his first win behind a shutout 11th, where the Cats cut down the potential go-ahead run at the plate. Altoona starter Khristian Curtis struck out six batters and allowed two earned runs in four innings. Reliever Jake Shirk (L, 1-1) recorded one out in the eleventh before he gave up the walk-off double.

Top Takeaways

• New Hampshire secured its third walk-off win of 2026 and their first since May 19.

• Cutter Coffey extended his hit streak to eight in the 9-8 win.

• Carter Cunningham notched his first Double-A extra-base hit and RBI.

• RHP Caleb Freeman has not allowed an earned run in seven straight games since returning from the 7-day IL on May 19, 2026.

With the game locked at eight in the 11th inning, New Hampshire completed its Saturday comeback as Micheletti Jr. drilled a walk-off double to beat Altoona. The walk-off win was the Cats third of 2026 and their first since May 19 vs Hartford.

After Altoona plated the game’s first run on an RBI double from first baseman Callan Moss, New Hampshire answered with three in the third. The Cats loaded the bases on a trio of walks, and first baseman Carter Cunningham cracked a three-run triple which made it 3-1.

The Curve plated six runs in the top of the fourth to take a 7-3 lead and they knocked McElvain out of the game. The Cats had no answers until the sixth inning when they scored four runs. Highlighting the frame were RBI knocks from left fielder Jorge Burgos and shortstop Nick Goodwin.

Trailing 8-7 in the bottom of the eighth, the Fisher Cats tied the game. With two outs and a runner at first, catcher Aaron Parker laced an RBI double and evened the score.

New Hampshire and Altoona Curve finish the series on Sunday at 1:05 p.m.. RHP Gage Stanifer (2-3, 4.36 ERA) will start for the Fisher Cats, and the Curve will counter with lefty Connor Wietgrefe (1-1, 4.81 ERA). Coverage begins at 5:43 PM on Bally Live, MLB.tv, MiLB.tv, and the Fisher Cats Radio Network.

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