The narrative for most of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats 2017 season to date fixated on ways the team could lose. But there have been a few exceptions here and there, with another coming on Friday night.
New Hampshire remained perfect during their southern road trip, getting their fourth win in a row thanks to a 9-5 victory over the Bowie Baysox.
Both teams were deadlocked 3-3 after the first four innings, with Bowie taking the lead in the bottom of the fifth on a Garabez Rosa single that brought home Cedric Mullins.
An Adrian Marin double knocking in Audry Perez in the sixth brought Bowie’s lead up to two runs, but it would grow no further.
Gunnar Heidt’s homer in the eighth set the stage for a five-run rally in the ninth that saw every Fisher Cat batter come to the plate.
Renewing the theme found in both of Thursday’s doubleheader wins, that rally came off a new pitcher, Garrett Cleavinger.
While Cleavinger (1-3) got through the inning, the rally saddled him with the loss and his third blown save of the year.
It wasn’t a good day for both starting pitchers either. Bowie starter Matthew Grimes gave up 10 hits during his six innings of work and New Hampshire starter Shane Dawson gave up eight hits over five innings.
The win went to Dusty Isaacs (2-2) for his contribution retiring Bowie in the eighth. Tim Mayza pitched a perfect ninth to complete the victory for New Hampshire.
At the plate, both Heidt and Richard Urena went 3-for-5 at the plate for the Fisher Cats, with Harold Ramirez and Ryan McBroom each getting two hits.
Bowie’s two-hit club included D.J. Stewart, Austin Wynns and Adam Brett Walker.
Sean Reid Foley (3-4, 5.40 ERA) seeks to continue the Fisher Cats’ streak on Saturday with a 6:35 p.m. matchup at Prince George’s Stadium in Bowie. The Baysox named Jesus Liranzo (1-3, 6.85 ERA) as their starter for the contest.
