PORTLAND, Maine – The New Hampshire Fisher Cats ended their 2019 season on a high note, defeating the Portland Sea Dogs, 8-7 in ten innings.
New Hampshire opened up a 5-1 lead on the Sea Dogs thanks to an RBI double from Kevin Smith in the first, a Cullen Large two-RBI single in the second and additional RBI from Brock Lundquist and Logan Warmoth in the third.
Luke Tendler’s home run in the fourth cut New Hampshire’s lead down to two, but Josh Palacios responded in the sixth, bringing home Warmoth to give New Hampshire a three-run lead.
Portland chipped away at that lead with a two-run seventh, highlighted by Jeremy Rivera’s sixth home run of the year, and Austin Rei tied things up in the bottom of the ninth with a single that brought pinch runner Brett Netzer across the plate.
Both teams brought home their bonus extra innings runners, with Christian Williams also coming home for New Hampshire on a leadoff two-run homer.
Jake Fishman took over for William Ouellette to final out of the year, needing just two pitches to retire Jarren Duran and seal the win.
Both teams finished with a dozen hits apiece, with only New Hampshire’s Nash Knight and Portland’s Dylan Hardy not recording a hit among the 18 starting batters.
Warmoth, Williams, Palacios and Smith each had two hits for New Hampshire. Rivera had three hits for Portland, with Duran and Jagger Rusconi each adding a pair.
Ouellette entered in the ninth and blew his save opportunity, but ended with the win, climbing to 3-2 on the year. Fishman earned his fourth save.
The loss went to Dedgar Jimenez, who entered in the ninth and ended the tenth for Portland. He concludes 2019 at 4-5.
Both starting pitchers went six innings and allowed nine hits, with New Hampshire’s Hector Perez striking out one and Portland’s Matthew Kent striking out six and walking two.
The Fisher Cats finish their year 63-76, one game ahead of Portland to avoid last place in the Eastern League’s Eastern Division.
Next season begins in Reading on April 9, with the home opener coming on April 16 against Hartford.
