Fisher Cats 4, Yard Goats 3
- Updated: May 31, 2025
HARTFORD, Conn. – The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (19-28) outlasted the Hartford Yard Goats in extra innings at Dunkin’ Park on Friday night, 4-3. The Fisher Cats had runners on first and third with one out in the top of the 10th inning and left fielder Yohendrick Piñango delivered with a towering fly ball to right field that cashed in center fielder Devonte Brown from third to put the Cats in front, 4-3.
Righty Alex Amalfi was tasked with the last three outs in the bottom of the 10th with the tying run at second. Amalfi picked up a pair of strikeouts before Hartford third baseman Nic Kent walked to put the winning run on first base. With a 2-2 count, Amalfi blew away Hartford right fielder Juan Guerrero with a high fastball to lock up New Hampshire’s 4-3 win.
Tied in the bottom of the ninth inning, New Hampshire’s Hunter Gregory (W, 2-1) punched out the side and finished with five strikeouts in 2-1/3 scoreless innings. Fisher Cats starter Juaron Watts-Brown notched his first quality start in Double-A and struck out eight batters and walked two.
The Yard Goats got the scoring started by plating a run in the bottom of the second inning after left fielder Braiden Ward worked a two-out walk. Following a Ward stolen base, first baseman Jose Cordova followed through with a single to the gap that brought Ward home as the game’s first run in the bottom of the second.
Piñango gave New Hampshire a 3-1 lead in front in the top of the third inning with a three-run homer, his eighth homer of the season to jolt the Cats in front. Brown led off the frame with a walk before catcher Alex Stone knocked an infield single that put runners on the corners with one out in the third. Piñango followed with the three-run blast that gave New Hampshire a 3-1 lead.
Hartford added a run in the bottom of the fifth inning when Kokoska opened the frame with a double and advanced to third on a groundout. With two outs, Kent bounced a ball to second base and the run came in to score after an infield error. It was ruled that first baseman Peyton Williams’ cleat came off the bag during his reception, which allowed Kokoska to score and force New Hampshire’s lead to 3-2.
Fisher Cats reliever Johnathan Lavallee entered in the bottom of the seventh and fanned the first batter he faced. Hartford’s Kokoska worked a one-out walk and stole second before Lavallee responded with a strikeout of Yard Goats’ center fielder Cole Carrigg. Trailing 3-2, Hartford shortstop Jose Torres knocked a two-out single to plate Kokoska and tie the game at 3-3.
The Yard Goats bats were held silent after that as 11 of their last 17 hitters went down on punchouts, including Gregory and Amalfi striking out the side in the bottom of the eighth and 10th innings to take down the Yard Goats after 10 innings, 4-3.
New Hampshire and Hartford continue their seven-game set with a 6:10 p.m. first pitch on Saturday night. Right-hander Rafael Sánchez (1-2, 4.34 ERA) gets the nod in what will be his 10th start for New Hampshire. Hartford’s Sean Sullivan (2-1, 1.84 ERA) is slotted for his sixth start of the year.
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