Clutch bats deliver Fisher Cats another series win

Binghamton, N.Y. – The Fisher Cats are 9-3 in their last 12 games, good for their best two-week stretch of the season. On Saturday night, New Hampshire (27-28) won, 7-5, over the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (New York Mets, 20-35) to clinch their second straight series win.

In a back-and-forth game, New Hampshire trailed, 5-4, heading into the top of the eighth. Binghamton’s Andrew Mitchell walked two straight batters and fell behind 3-0 to New Hampshire’s nine hitter, Zac Cook. Mitchell tried to sneak a fastball over the plate for a strike, but instead Cook crushed a three-run homer over the center field wall.

The homer put New Hampshire up, 7-5, and was the decisive blow in New Hampshire’s series-clinching win. The blast was Cook’s first since his return from the injured list on June 8, and his seventh of the season.

In the top of the first, Spencer Horwitz and Orelvis Martinez got the bats going with back-to-back homers. Horwitz’s homer was crushed to right-center for his second big fly of the week. He is hitting .385 with three doubles, two homers and seven RBIs in June.

Martinez’s blast was his 15th of the year and ended a stretch of 10 games without a homer. Ranked the No. 2 prospect in the Blue Jays system by MLB.com, Martinez is tied for third in the Eastern League in homers. He went 2-for-4 on the night with two RBIs

First baseman John Aiello had his second straight multi-hit game. He finished 2-for-5 and scored in the third inning to put New Hampshire up, 3-0.

Fisher Cats starter Adam Kloffenstein allowed two runs in his first two innings before running into trouble in the fifth. Kloffenstein started off the inning with a walk and a hit by pitch, leading to his departure. Binghamton would go on to add three runs on two hits in the inning to move in front, 5-4.

The New Hampshire bullpen was again solid and helped spur the comeback. Cre Finfrock worked a scoreless sixth inning, and Sean Mellen (W, 2-0) pitched shutout frames in the seventh and eighth with three strikeouts. Sean Rackoski pitched for the second consecutive night and earned the save with a perfect ninth inning.

The Fisher Cats return home to Delta Dental Stadium on June 14 for a 6:35 p.m. first pitch against the Somerset Patriots (New York Yankees). The Patriots are in second place in the Northeast division of the Eastern League at 34-19. Tickets can be found at NHFisherCats.com, via email at [email protected], over the phone at (603) 641-2005, or in-person at the Fisher Cats box office at 1 Line Drive in Manchester.