MANCHESTER, NH – The New Hampshire Fisher Cats need a victory on Sunday to win this year’s home series against the Bowie Bay Sox, falling 4-1 to the Baltimore Orioles’ Double-A affiliate on Saturday night.
It took only three pitches from Fisher Cats starting pitcher Josh DeGraaf before the Bay Sox got their first hit, a single to left by Anderson Feliz. Bowie’s next two batters reached base safely, enough to bring Feliz across the plate.
Bowie obtained two runs in the first and likely would have had more if not for a 7-6 double play that saw Corban Joseph retired at third.
New Hampshire’s first run came in the fifth with an RBI single from returning Fisher Cat Jon Berti, his first RBI in a New Hampshire uniform since Sept. 1, 2016 and his first since being reacquired from the Cleveland Indians organization earlier this week.
However, Bowie pitchers would go on to all but one New Hampshire batter over the rest of the contest, a walk to Patrick Cantwell.
That would be the only time Cantwell reached base, with Berti and Andrew Guillotte combining for four of New Hampshire’s five hits on the evening.
Bowie’s offense also sputtered, with New Hampshire allowing just more hit until the ninth. There, the Bay Sox mustered three more hits off reliever Kirby Snead, bringing Joseph and Anthony Santander across the plate.
DeGraaf left after six inning of work, giving up four hits and a walk, striking out four Bowie batters. Bowie starting pitcher Keegan Akin also left after six innings, also giving up four hits and a walk, striking out six Fisher Cats.
Sunday’s 1:35 p.m. matinee pits New Hampshire’s Justin Dillon (0-1, 7.20 ERA) against Bowie lefthander Jayson Aquino (3-2, 4.20 ERA). New Hampshire is currently 9-2/8-3 against lefthanded starting pitchers this season.
