Fisher Cats 4, SeaWolves 2

ERIE, Pa – A three-run ninth inning and stellar pitching from four New Hampshire arms propelled the Fisher Cats (20-29, 54-62) to a Friday night win at UPMC Park against the Erie SeaWolves (33-16, 69-48), 4-2. Toronto’s No. 3 prospect Johnny King set down the final 10 batters he faced, and the bullpen followed with four strong innings.

Box Score

New Hampshire’s big moment came in the late stages of Friday’s game. With the game tied1-1, in the top of the ninth, left fielder Carter Cunningham’s sacrifice fly gave New Hampshire their first lead at 2-1, and third baseman Cutter Coffey’s two-run single with two outs gave the Fisher Cats a decisive 4-1 lead.

King allowed one run on two hits in five innings. The left-hander struck out three batters in his second Double-A start. Right-hander Gage Stanifer struck out two in two perfect innings. Relievers Aaron Munson (W, 4-3) and Kelena Sauer (SV, 2) secured the final six outs of the win.

Erie starter Max Alba fired a quality start against the Cats, holding New Hampshire to one run across six strong innings. Reliever Zane Barnhart struck out four batters in two scoreless innings. Fellow reliever Moises Rodriguez (L, 3-1) entered the ninth and was tagged for three runs in 2/3 innings.

Top Takeaways:

• 3B Cutter Coffey delivers two-run single with two outs to extend lead in ninth.
• LHP Johnny King completed five frames for the first time in Double-A.
  • King retired the final 10 hitters he faced.
• INF Eric Snow notched his fifth multi-hit game with the Cats.
• INF JR Freethy has back-to-back multi-hit games after previously going 1-for-21.
• OF Alexis Hernandez went 1-for-4 to extend his hit streak to seven.

The SeaWolves opened the scoring in the bottom of the first. Following a Peyton Graham two-out double, first baseman Thayron Liranzo ripped an RBI single to give Erie a 1-0 lead.

New Hampshire evened the score in the fourth. Shortstop Eric Snow opened the inning with a double. Two batters later, designated hitter Dub Gleed crushed an RBI double and tied the game, 1-1.

After New Hampshire’s three-run ninth, Erie’s Woody Hadeen (1) homered in the bottom of the inning, but the Cats closed down a Friday night win with a Sauer strikeout.

New Hampshire and Erie continue their six-game series on Saturday, August 22, with first pitch slated for 6:05 PM. Jackson Wentworth (6-7, 4.80 ERA) will start for the Cats and the SeaWolves will counter with righty Kenny Serwa (6-8, 4.50 ERA). Coverage begins at 5:45 PM on the Fisher Cats Radio Network.