Yard Goats 7, Fisher Cats 2

HARTFORD, Conn. – Right fielder Carter Cunningham walloped his first Double-A home run, but the New Hampshire Fisher Cats were sunk on Saturday by a five-run eighth at Dunkin’ Park against the Hartford Yard Goats, 7-2. Cunningham’s two-run blast soared 437 ft. as the newcomer strung together a two-for-four effort.

Box Score

New Hampshire starter Gage Stanifer allowed four hits and struck out five batters behind five innings of two-run ball. Reliever Aaron Munson (L, 1-1) suffered the loss despite tossing a scoreless sixth and seventh inning. The right-hander was hit for five earned runs in the eighth before fellow righty Bea Philip recorded the final out of the eighth.

Hartford starter Jake Brooks fired a quality start, as the righty struck out four batters and gave up a pair of runs in six innings. Relief pitcher Carlos Torres (W, 4-2) kept the Cats in check with two shutout frames out of the bullpen.

Top Takeaways

• RF Carter Cunningham mashed his first Double-A home run in the contest.
• RHP Beau Philip has not allowed a run in his first three outings with the Cats.
• RHP Gage Stanifer logged his fifth five-inning start of the season.

• Stanifer retired eight in a row to end his night with five strikeouts.

• Fisher Cats drop third-straight game in Hartford, have fallen in 9 of their 11 games

Hartford’s big moment decided Saturday’s game in the bottom of the eighth inning. Locked in a 2-2 tie, third baseman Dyan Jorge and second baseman Roc Riggio cracked a pair of singles. Two batters later, center fielder Braylen Wimmer laced a two-run knock to give the Goats a 4-2 lead. Following a Munson strikeout, designated hitter Bryant Betancourt walked, and first baseman Aidan Longwell (8) mashed a three-run homer to make it 7-2.

The Yard Goats scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the first. Jorge and Riggio walked to open the inning. Two hitters later, Wimmer ripped an RBI single and made it 1-0.

New Hampshire answered in the third. With two outs, first baseman Jorge Burgos doubled to set up Cunningham’s (1) two-run blast to give the Cats a 2-1 lead.

The Goats quickly tied it in the bottom of the third. Following a groundout, Riggio walked and shortstop Andy Perez singled. With runners at the corners, Wimmer ripped another RBI single and evened the score at two.

The Fisher Cats and Yard Goats finish their seven-game series on Sunday, with Fisher Cats RHP Austin Cates (1-2, 4.23 ERA) slated to go against Hartford’s Connor Staine (4-1, 3.96 ERA) with a 1:10 p.m. first pitch from Dunkin’ Park.

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