The New Hampshire Fisher Cats earned a late 7-5 victory on Saturday night, erasing an Altoona Curve lead with just one out left from defeat.
New Hampshire’s late heroics were the second time they erased an Altoona lead, the Curve got their first lead off four runs in the first inning.
There, Kevin Kramer singled home Elvis Escobar, followed by a three-run homer from Edwin Espinal.
The Fisher Cats would claw their way back slowly, beginning with Tim Lopes coming across the plate in the second. New Hampshire would add two more runs in the third and tie things up in the sixth thanks to Ryan McBroom’s fifth homer of the year.
Altoona regained the lead in the seventh when a bunt transformed into one of New Hampshire’s three errors on the evening, and they kept that lead until a Jonathan Davis single brought home Gunnar Heidt in the ninth, tying things up once again.
The single from Davis was quickly followed by a 2-RBI double from Richard Urena that couldn’t quite turn into a triple.
Urena was out trying to extend his hit, but the damage was done and Dusty Isaacs stranded two runners in the ninth to seal the victory.
Isaacs (1-1) pitched two innings in the win, following a spotless inning from Jose Fernandez and a six-inning performance from starter Jon Harris.
Montana DuRapau (2-1) was saddled with the loss following New Hampshire’s ninth inning rally.
Both teams went had double-digit hit nights. New Hampshire got two hits apiece from Heidt, Davis, Urena, Lopes, and Anthony Alford. Altoona got two-hit performances at the late from Escobar, Kramer, Kevin Newman and Jerrick Suiter.
The victory improves New Hampshire’s record to 1-18 when trailing after the eighth inning. Tonight was the first time the ‘Cats scored three or more in the ninth inning or later this season.
The series concludes Sunday with a 1 p.m. start in Altoona. Southpaw Shane Dawson (1-4, 5.14 ERA) faces Altoona’s Brandon Waddell (0-1, 9.00 ERA).