Welcome to the Coshow.
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats had a shot at getting a split from Wednesday night’s doubleheader against the Trenton Thunder but couldn’t pull out the victory, falling 4-3 in seven innings.
In contrast to the dominating start from Yelfry Ramirez in the first game, the Thunder relied on a hodge podge of hurlers in game two, concluding with the sixth save of the year from Oklahoma University product Cale Coshow.
Although he allowed a single to Ryan McBroom and a pair of walks to load the bases, Coshow forced a pinch hitting Gunnar Heidt into a 6-3 ground out to seal the victory for Trenton.
The Thunder won’t see New Hampshire again until mid-May, but Coshow will no doubt be counting the days; so far four of his six saves have come at the expense of the Fisher Cats, including a save against New Hampshire just two days earlier.
Travis Hissong got the win for Trenton despite recording only one out in the sixth, and he can Billy Fleming, who broke the deadlock in the top of the seventh with a homer over the right centerfield fence.
Fleming came across the plate in the first for Trenton’s first run off a Jorge Saez and the Thunder added two more in the sixth off a Mike Ford single that brought home Game One hero Rashad Crawford and a sacrifice fly that scored Miguel Andujar.
Jon Harris got the loss for New Hampshire, falling to 1-1 on the year. However, the performance Harris submitted fits firmly into the new paradigm Fisher Cats starting pitching has faced recently: improving, but unlucky.
Harris scattered three hits and walked two in 5 1/3 innings of work, striking out four but allowing three runs.
Tim Lopes’ hitting streak ended, but the recently red-hot Anthony Alford, going 1-for-4 in Game Two. That was Alford’s first hit in the series, following six against Trenton last week and a key home run on Sunday night.
Although he’s now at an even .400, he’s lost the top batting average in the Eastern League, a claim that now currently belongs to Portland’s Aneury Tavarez.
McBroom and Richard Urena had two-hit performances for the Fisher Cats in Game Two while Fleming was the only batter with more than a hit for the Thunder.
The Fisher Cats return to action in Binghamton on Friday night as Shane Dawson (0-2, 5.82) starts for the Fisher Cats against the Rumble Ponies’ Casey Delgado (0-3, 9.69).
