MANCHESTER, NH – Sometimes all it takes is one big inning.
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats evened up their weekend series with the Reading Fightin’ Phils on Saturday, winning the contest 5-1.
New Hampshire didn’t look back after the second, where they accumulated the five runs that proved insurmountable throughout the rest of the evening.
The first run in that inning came off a Jacob Waguespack balk, bringing in Fisher Cats first baseman Juan Kelly.
Jonathan Davis and Jon Berti immediately followed with a pair of doubles, adding three more runs to the Fisher Cats’ tally, with Bo Bichette’s first pitch single then allowing Berti to come home.
Waguespack (0-1) left after only two outs in the second, responsible for all five runs coming during the onslaught.
He also allowed five hits and three walks before departing after his 67th pitch.
Conversely, New Hampshire starting pitcher Jon Harris had a quality start, putting in 6 2/3 innings of work with seven strikeouts.
The only run Harris (6-3) allowed was a home run to Zach Green, his 14th of the year and sixth of the year against the Fisher Cats.
New Hampshire received support from Reading’s three errors on the night, as well as seven walks, including three for leftfielder Andrew Guillotte.
Both teams concluded the game with just six hits each, with Green and Bichette each providing two hits each.
On Sunday, the two teams conclude the series with a 1:35 p.m. matinee. New Hampshire’s Jordan Romano (8-2, 3.54 ERA) will seek to regain the dominance he displayed earlier in the season, with Reading starting southpaw Ranger Suarez (3-3, 3.04 ERA).