Fisher Cats Three-Run Ninth Inning Sinks Sea Dogs

Portland, Maine- The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (13-21) plated three runs in the top of the ninth inning to defeat the Portland Sea Dogs (21-14) 4-2 Saturday night at Hadlock Field before the largest crowd of the season of 5,423 fans.

With two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the ninth, Jordan Groshans doubled to shallow right field just out of the reach of the diving Jeisson Rosario to score three runs as the Fisher Cats broke a 1-1 tie.

Ryan Fitzgerald hit his third home run of the year with two outs in the bottom of the ninth before Jon Harris got Jhonny Pereda to ground out and earn the save for New Hampshire.

Brayan Bello made his Double-A debut after being called up from High-A Greenville. The 22-year-old held the Fisher Cats scoreless through four innings, allowing five hits and two strikeouts. In the fifth inning, he walked the first two batters of the inning and was lifted for reliever Joan Martinez. New Hampshire was able to score a run when Otto Lopez hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Brock Lundquist. The run was charged to Bello, the Red Sox No. 19 ranked prospect by Baseball America.

Meanwhile, New Hampshire starter Johnny Barbato held the Sea Dogs scoreless through five innings. In the sixth inning, the Sea Dogs tied the score at one when Joey Meneses hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Jeisson Rosario, who led off the inning with a single, advanced to second on a throwing error by the second baseman LJ Talley, and moved to third on a Triston Casas single.

Tied at one in the eighth, the Sea Dogs threatened as Pereda and Grant Williams led off the inning with back-to-back singles. After a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over be Jeisson Rosario, the Fisher Cats intentionally walked Pedro Castellanos to load the bases with one out for Triston Casas. Brody Rodning entered the game for New Hampshire and struck out Casas and Meneses, the Sea Dogs RBI leader to get out of the jam.

Rodning (1-3) picked up the win for the Fisher Cats. While Tyler Olson (2-1) took the loss.

The Fisher Cats lead the series three games to two. The Sea Dogs will look to split the series as the two teams meet Sunday at 1:00 PM for the series finale. Radio coverage on the WPEI Sea Dogs Radio Network, built by General Dynamics/ Bath Iron Works, begins at 12:45 PM. The game is also available on MiLB.TV.