Manchester, N.H. - With twelve runs in the first four innings, including three RBIs from Blue Jays No. 3 prospect Lourdes Gurriel Jr., the Fisher Cats outslugged the Portland Sea Dogs, 15-8, on Friday night at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium. Gurriel, one of four Fisher Cats with three hits on
Manchester, N.H. - With twelve runs in the first four innings, including three RBIs from Blue Jays No. 3 prospect Lourdes Gurriel Jr., the Fisher Cats outslugged the Portland Sea Dogs, 15-8, on Friday night at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium. Gurriel, one of four Fisher Cats with three hits on the night, finished 3-for-5 with two doubles and four runs batted in.
After allowing three runs in the top of the first -- a single from Henry Urrutia and a double from Mike Olt brought them in -- New Hampshire responded with twelve unanswered runs over the next four innings. Facing LHP Trey Ball (L, 3-8), the 7th overall pick in the 2013 draft, the Fisher Cats recorded nine hits in their first 14 at bats.
New Hampshire's first six batters reached base in the opening inning. Jonathan Davis singled, Richard Ureña doubled, and Danny Jansen drove home Davis with a base hit. Ryan McBroom lined an RBI single to left to make it 3-2, and after a walk to Harold Ramirez, Gurriel hit a two-run single up the middle to give New Hampshire a 4-3 lead. Derrick Loveless capped the rally with a two-run hit that stayed on the infield; both the pitcher Ball and the catcher Jake Romanski followed the dribbler down the first base line. Romanski overran it, Ball hoped it would go foul, and two runs came in to score with home plate unattended.
The Fisher Cats led 6-3 after one inning, and would score six more unanswered runs in the next three frames. Harold Ramirez hit a two-run single in the second to make it 8-3. Gurriel delivered one his of two RBI doubles in the fourth, and Gunnar Heidt hit a two-run two-bagger to extend the lead to 12-3. Portland clawed back with three runs in the fifth - highlighted by a Jeremy Barfield homer - and two in the sixth on a double from Cole Sturgeon, but the Fisher Cats got three more on the board in the seventh to get back to a comfortable 15-8 cushion.
Harold Ramirez lined a two-run double the other way, and Gurriel drilled a double to left to plate another.
The teams will play a doubleheader consisting of two seven-inning games on Saturday at 6:05 p.m. at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium, followed by Atlas Fireworks. The first 1,000 fans will receive a Pump up the Fun noisemaker, and upon exit fans will receive an Irving Oil Pump Up the Fun game card! For tickets and information, visit www.nhfishercats.com.
