MANCHESTER, N.H. – The New Hampshire Fisher Cats looked like they might be able to pull off a miracle with a late rally on Friday night only to see what became their sixth loss in a row, falling 6-3 to the Somerset Patriots.
Somerset put two runs on the board in the third off Josh Breaulx’s 12th homer of the year, more than enough to hold the lead through the first six innings of the contest as Patriot pitchers held the ‘Cats to just one hit.
New Hampshire changed the narrative in the seventh as Spencer Horwitz led off with his seventh homer of the year that cut Somerset’s lead in half. Orelvis Martinez would walk on the next at-bat, with Will Robertson’s double sending Martinez to third and Phil Clarke’s sacrifice fly driving Martinez home for the game-tying run. Luis De Los Santos’ single on the next at-bat would bring Robertson home to put New Hampshire in the lead.
The Fisher Cats were unable to put up more runs in the rally and Somerset would quickly erase New Hampshire’s lead as a result, with Brandon Lockridge singling home Elijah Dunham in the eighth to even things up at three runs apiece.
Fisher Cats hurler Jimmy Burnette entered in the ninth and quickly allowed Somerset’s first two runners on base, setting the stage for what would by Anthony Volpe’s game-deciding three run homer.
New Hampshire went down in order in the ninth, encapsulating a night where they only saw four hits in total.
Burnette (1-2) was the losing pitcher following his ninth inning implosion and Sean Rackoski blew his first save of the year after allowing Lockridge’s single in the eighth.
Adam Kloffenstein had what was arguably the best of his five Double-A starts so far this season, going 5 2/3 innings and allowing two runs off six hits and a walk while striking out six Somerset batters.
New Hampshire (27-34) plays Somerset (40-21) again on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. Trent Palmer (0-1, 3.44 ERA) takes the mound for New Hampshire against Randy Vasquez (0-1, 2.22 ERA).
