'Cat Scratch Fever: NH Hangs On For Series Sweep

ERIE, PA - The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays) held off the Erie SeaWolves (Tigers) to win 10-9 Wednesday afternoon at UPMC Park, completing a three-game sweep in 24 hours and 11 minutes to improve to a league-best 43-28.

After a one hour and eight minute rain delay, the scoring started in the top of the second. Connor Panas slugged his third home run of the season with a man on and one out to give New Hampshire a 2-0 advantage, but Erie answered in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run blast from Josh Lester.
The 'Cats plated three to retake the lead in the third. Bo Bichette led off with a double and Cavan Biggio joined him on base via a walk. The next three hitters - Harold Ramirez, Juan Kelly and Andrew Guillotte - all brought home a run to score a trio of tallies and put New Hampshire up 5-2.
A run in the third and two in the fourth helped the SeaWolves pull even with the Fisher Cats, but the Blue Jays affiliate put up another three-spot in the fifth. With the bases loaded and one out, Pat Cantwell hit his second double of the day to score two. An error allowed the third run of the inning to score and the 'Cats led 8-5 at the midway point.
Erie's comeback continued in the bottom of the fifth. The 'Wolves added lone runs in the fifth, seventh and eighth to tie the game at eight.
After a scoreless ninth, the game went to extras for the third time in three games. Panas laced a single up the middle on the first pitch of bonus baseball, scoring the placed runner from second. After Cantwell bunted Panas to second, Jon Berti flared a double into shallow right field to score the second run of the stanza and make it 10-8 New Hampshire.
In the home half of the tenth, the SeaWolves scored their placed runner with a lead-off single to cut the 'Cats lead to one. Erie would go on to load the bases - which put the tying run at third and the winning run at second - but Andrew Case induced a game- and series-ending groundout to secure a 10-9 triumph and the series sweep.
Panas led the way on offense with two hits in four trips. He scored three times and worked a walk. Bichette, Kelly and Cantwell all logged multi-hit efforts.
After an off day tomorrow, the Fisher Cats return to Northeast Delta Dental Stadium on Friday, June 22 to kick-off a seven-game homestand. The Reading Fightin Phils (Phillies) and Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox) are set to arrive on the shores of the Merrimack. For tickets and more information, visit nhfishercats.com.