PORTLAND, Maine – Coming into this season, no New Hampshire Fisher Cat had ever hit for the cycle. Leaving this season, there will be at least two.
Jon Berti follows in the footsteps of Jonathan Davis as he collected a single, double, triple and home run during the Fisher Cats 8-4 victory over the Portland Sea Dogs on Tuesday night.
Following a flying out in the first, Berti stung a drive to center for the single, followed by an RBI double in the fifth and a triple in the seventh.
Berti completed the cycle on a 1-2 pitch down the heart of the plate, sending the ball toward Fitzpatrick Stadium for a solo home run, his seventh home run of the year.
Bo Bichette also had three RBI and a homer in a 3-for-5 performance that also could have held a cycle if the speedy shortstop had been able to collect his seventh triple of the season.
That would have put Bichette in a tie for the league lead in triples, and his stolen base in first put him at 32 for the year, just one shy of tying the league lead in that category as well.
Harold Ramirez and Cavan Biggio each also contributed a pair of hits for the Fisher Cats, with Ramirez adding a homer in the third. Meanwhile, Chad De La Guerra recorded three of Portland’s six hits on the evening.
Jon Harris once again lasted five innings on the mount for New Hampshire, giving up just four hits, two of which were home runs to De La Guerra and Esteban Quiroz. Mike Matheny also added a consolation dinger for the Sea Dogs in the ninth.
Teddy Stankiewicz also lasted five innings in his start for Portland, leaving with five earned runs off nine hits and a walk.
With the result, Harris climbs to 11-5 while Stankiewicz falls to 7-13.
The series continues on Wednesday in a duel of aces as New Hampshire’s Jordan Romano (11-7, 3.71 ERA) faces off against Portland’s (10-8, 3.15 ERA) in a 7 p.m. tilt.
