MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Erie SeaWolves almost left the Granite State with a sweep on Sunday afternoon, but couldn’t thanks to a 8-5 win over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.
Although the Fisher Cats have struggled offensively as of late, home runs hadn’t been an issue during the first two games of the series for New Hampshire and Riley Adams made sure the trend continued on Sunday.
Adams took the first pitch he saw from Erie starter Casey Mize and sent it over the left field fence for his seventh dinger of the season.
Erie responded in the fourth with four hits and four runs, a tally that could have been higher if Josh Lester didn’t strike out swinging to retire the side.
That result chased New Hampshire starting pitcher Justin Dillon in exchange for Brad Wilson, but the SeaWolves didn’t seem notice, with Daniel Pinero and Kody Eaves collecting hits to start the fifth.
An eventual bases-loaded walk to Dylan Rosa gave Erie their fifth run, but Wilson managed to prevent any further damage.
New Hampshire would load the bases themselves in the bottom of the fifth, and Nash Knight brought home the first run of the inning for the ‘Cats after being hit by a pitch.
Josh Palacios took a second run off a subsequent grounder and Brock Lundquist gave New Hampshire back the lead.
A Logan Warmoth first-pitch single to left brought Lundquist home for the Fisher Cats’ seventh run, with a Lundquist sacrifice fly bringing in another run in the eighth.
Wilson climbed to 2-0 in Eastern League play, allowing two hits and three walks in his two innings of relief.
Mize fell to 6-2, giving up six runs off eight hits in his 4 2/3 inning start.
Dany Jimenez retired Erie in the ninth to pick up his fifth save of the year for the Fisher Cats.
At the plate, Adams and Christian Williams had two hits while Spanberger and Christian Williams each had three.
For Erie, Eaves ended with a 3-for-5 day, with Derek Hill going 2-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and a run.
Sunday’s contest marks New Hampshire’s last against a non-divisional foe as they follow up what will be their last off-day of the season with a four-game set against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies.
