Manchester, N.H. – The Fisher Cats hit a pair of home runs, and Max Castillo tossed five innings of one-hit ball in a 3-0 win and a split of Sunday’s doubleheader with the Hartford Yard Goats.
Game 1- Three Hartford home runs paced the squad to a 4-1 win in the opener.
In the top of the first inning, Jameson Hannah singled and Willie MacIver homered for a 2-0 lead. Hartford added a pair of solo shots off starter and losing pitcher Paxton Schultz (L, 0-1) in the second and fourth innings. Jimmy Herron homered in the second, and Kyle Datras snuck one inside the right field foul pole in the fourth to make it 4-0.
Schultz left after four innings, allowing four runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out three Hartford batters.
New Hampshire scored in the bottom of the fifth inning. After a walk to Zac Cook, consecutive singles by Stewart Berroa and Ryan Gold produced a run to make it 4-1.
That would be the only run allowed by Yard Goats starter Noah Davis, who worked 4.2 innings. Stephen Jones (W, 1-0) and Nick Kennedy (S, 1) shut down the Fisher Cats the rest of the way.
Game 2
John Aiello doubled and Zac Cook homered in the third inning to give the Fisher Cats a 2-0 lead. Aiello then homered in his second at bat in the bottom of the fifth inning for another run.
Castillo (W, 1-0) allowed just one hit in his second start of the series. He walked two and struck out eight. Garrett Schilling (L, 0-1) started for the Yard Goats, taking the loss.
Hartford put two men on in the top of the sixth inning, but Jake Elliott came out of the bullpen to record the final outs, and Adrian Hernandez finished up for his first save of 2022.
Notes
New Hampshire (6-3) has won the first two series of the season after taking four of six games from Hartford (4-5). This was the only series between the division rivals during the first half of the season. Hartford will be back in New Hampshire for a series starting July 4.
The Fisher Cats head on the road to play at Altoona this week starting with a 6 p.m. game on Tuesday night. RHP Hayden Juenger is the probable starter for New Hampshire.
The team returns home to Delta Dental Stadium to play the Reading Fightin Phils from April 26 to May 1.
