More late heartbreak for New Hampshire

Fisher Cats drop sixth straight game, fifth of the Somerset series

(Photo courtesy of Brandon Maffitt)

June 17, 2022

Manchester, N.H. – Tied going into the ninth inning for the second straight night, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (27-34) lost, 6-3, to the Somerset Patriots (New York Yankees, 40-21) on Friday. One night earlier, New Hampshire gave up seven runs in the top of the ninth and fell, 11-4.

Manchester, N.H. – Tied going into the ninth inning for the second straight night, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (27-34) lost, 6-3, to the Somerset Patriots (New York Yankees, 40-21) on Friday. One night earlier, New Hampshire gave up seven runs in the top of the ninth and fell, 11-4. The Friday defeat was the Fisher Cats’ sixth straight and fifth to the Patriots this week.

Trailing, 2-0, on Marvel’s Defenders of the Diamonds Night, New Hampshire mounted a heroic comeback in the seventh inning dawning their Thor-inspired jerseys. Spencer Horwitz started off the frame with a homer, extending his hit streak to 13 games and his on-base streak to 16. After an Orelvis Martinez walk, Will Robertson doubled for his seventh extra-base hit in eight games. Phil Clarke lifted a sacrifice fly into center field, and Luis De Los Santos added an RBI single to put the Fisher Cats ahead, 3-2.

The lead was short-lived, as Somerset added a run in the eighth to tie the game, 3-3. After a walk and a hit by pitch to start the ninth, Yankees top prospect Anthony Volpe crushed a three-run homer to give the Patriots. MLB.com ranks Volpe the No. 5 prospect in all of baseball and the top infielder.

For the first six innings, Patriots starter Sean Boyle was terrific, allowing just one hit. He ran into trouble in the seventh, allowing all three of the Fisher Cats runs. He struck out six. In Boyle’s May 4 start again New Hampshire, he struck out nine, eight of them consecutively.

Adam Kloffenstein threw a season-long 5.2 innings. The third round draft pick allowed two earned runs, both coming on a Somerset homer. He walked one and struck out six, including four straight to start the game.

Reliever Sean Mellen went 1.1 scoreless in his fifth straight scoreless outing. The lefty from Northeastern has a 0.84 ERA and a 1-0 record in June.

The Fisher Cats continue their 13-game homestand with first pitch at 7:05 p.m. tomorrow, June 18 against the Somerset Patriots (New York Yankees). Next week, New Hampshire welcomes the Altoona Curve (Pittsburgh Pirates) to Delta Dental Stadium. 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.