Fisher Cats Earn Win for 4 Millionth Fan
MANCHESTER, N.H. - On the night when they celebrated the arrival of their four millionth fan, the Fisher Cats used some fan favorites to beat the Harrisburg Senators, 8-6, at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium. New Hampshire pitchers combined for a dozen strikeouts and Matt Newman and Ryan Schimpf each blasted home runs to help the Fisher Cats (51-48) snap a season-long five-game losing streak.
All eight of the New Hampshire runs came with two outs, starting with Newman's solo home run in the second inning. His ninth of the season set off an avalanche of runs against Harrisburg starter John Simms (L; 0-1).
After the long ball, Emilio Guerrero doubled, Jorge Flores walked, and Roemon Fields singled to load the bases. All three scored when Shane Opitz tripled into the right field corner to build the lead to 4-0. Optiz scored on a Kevin Nolan single to make it a 5-0 lead.
The Senators (50-53) came back against starting pitcher Taylor Cole (W; 5-8) with a two-run homer in the third. They added two more in the fifth to make it a one run game at 5-4. Cole would leave after five, allowing four runs on six hits. He finished with the team's first seven strikeouts.
Still leading 5-4 in the seventh, the Fisher Cats put the game away with another two-out rally. With runners at first and second, flied to center for the inning's second out. Schimpf followed against lefty reliever Bryan Harper, and he blasted the first pitch he saw for his 13th home run and an 8-4 lead. The blast was the 59th of Schimpf's Fisher Cats career, adding to his franchise record.
Harrisburg got two runs back in the top of the eighth when Colt Hynes allowed a one-out single. He left with two outs in the frame for Danny Barnes, who came on to give up a home run on his first pitch to Harrisburg's Pedro Severino.
Hynes and Barnes (S, 4) combined for five strikeouts over four innings of work. Hynes retired eight of nine hitters he faced in relief of Cole.
Schimpf led an 11-hit Fisher Cats attack going 2-3 with his home run and a walk. Fields added three hits while Opitz scored twice and drove in three. Nolan also had a pair of hits as the Fisher Cats improved to 3-1 against the Senators in 2015.
The series continues Tuesday night on WMUR Play Ball for CHaD Night. Fifty percent of all individual tickets sold will benefit CHaD thanks to WMUR. Before the game, several CHaD Kids will take batting practice on the field with WMUR sports anchor Jason King and Fisher Cats players and coaches. Tickets are available at www.nhfishercats.com, by calling 603-641-2005, and by visiting the stadium box office.
The pitching match-up should be a dandy on Tuesday night as Blue Jays phenom Jeff Hoffman makes his third Double-A start against new Senator Lucas Giolito, the Nationals' top-ranked prospect. Tom Gauthier and Bob Lipman have the radio call beginning at 6:45 p.m. on the WGIR Fisher Cats Radio Network and www.nhfishercats.com.