Bibens-Dirkx Fans Eight in Win Sunday

TRENTON, NJ - The New Hampshire Fisher Cats struck late in the game Sunday night to move past the Trenton Thunder, taking a 5-1 win in the penultimate game of the 2015 season at Arm & Hammer Park.

The Fisher Cats (68-71) scored four of their five runs from the seventh inning on, battering the bullpen of their hosts. The Thunder (71-70) couldn't follow up an early lead and dropped the second game in a row. The final game of the series -- and the season -- will be a rubber match for the series on Monday.

The Thunder drew first blood in the bottom of the second against Fisher Cats starter Austin Bibens-Dirkx, as Jake Skole hammered a slider over the right-field wall for a solo homer to put Trenton ahead 1-0. The Fisher Cats answered in the top of the third inning, with Shane Opitz singling to lead off against Trenton starter Cale Coshow. Ground-outs by Emilio Guerrero and Matt Newman advanced Opitz to third, and Roemon Fields looped a single into left field to score Opitz and tie the game at 1-1.

The Fisher Cats finally broke ahead in the top of the seventh inning against Coshow. Jack Murphy laced a one-out double up the right field line, and Opitz followed by cracking a double to left to score Murphy. Guerrero lined out to Francisco Arcia at first base, but Newman zipped a single to right field, scoring Opitz to give New Hampshire a 3-1 lead.

New Hampshire added an insurance run in the top of the eighth against reliever Taylor Garrison. Jorge Flores led off the frame with a single, and moved to third on a single by Dwight Smith, Jr. K.C. Hobson fanned for the first out, but Kevin Nolan punched a single through the middle to score Flores and extend the lead to 4-1. In the top of the ninth, Fields hit a triple to left when Billy Fleming fell down and got up gimpy, and scored when Smith singled into the left-center field gap, making it 5-1 Fisher Cats.

Bibens-Dirkx earned his seventh win in his final start of the season, allowing one run on five hits and a walk over seven innings. He struck out a season-best eight batters. Cory Burns pitched two scoreless innings with two hits against a strikeout for his second save of the season.

The Fisher Cats will close their season Monday afternoon, with righty Taylor Cole starting for New Hampshire against Trenton righty Jaron Long. First pitch is at 1:00 p.m., with Ben Gellman's pregame show starting at 12:45 p.m. on the Fisher Cats Radio Network and online at www.nhfishercats.com.

On September 25, Northeast Delta Dental Stadium will welcome country music superstar Craig Morgan, with special guest Aaron Parker. Tickets start at just $39 for this fantastic event, and you can get yours online at www.nhfishercats.com or by calling the Fisher Cats box office at 603-641-2005.