MANCHESTER, N.H. – Friday night proved to be a less than auspicious beginning to the weekend at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium as the New Hampshire Fisher Cats found themselves thrashed at the hands of the Richmond Flying Squirrels, 14-5.
New Hampshire responded after the visitors opened up an 8-0 lead as Vinny Capra’s first-pitch leadoff single sparked a three-run rally. However, Richmond quickly negated that response with five straight hits in the top of the sixth, including home runs from Jacob Heyward and Zach Houchins.
That onslaught gave the Flying Squirrels five more runs, more than enough without the insurance run they got from Jonah Arenado’s RBI double in the seventh.
Joshua Palacios and Brock Lundquist provided ultimately inconsequential solo home runs for New Hampshire in the sixth and eighth innings respectively.
Eight of the nine Flying Squirrels starting batters had at least one hit, as four Squirrels each had a pair of hits. Three Squirrels also finished with multiple RBI, as Jacob Heyward and Zach Houchins each went deep for Richmond.
Palacios and Capra each had two hits for New Hampshire.
On the mound, Brandon Lawson (2-2) got the win, allowing four runs off six hits and two walks in his 5 1/3 inning performance, striking out three Fisher Cats along the way.
Patrick Murphy (4-6) was the loser, leaving after retiring only seven batters. He was on the hook for only three of the five runs that occurred on his watch, as the Fisher Cats committed two of their three errors on the evening before his departure.
Murphy allowed five hits and three walks, striking out three Richmond batters.
Zach Logue (3-3, 3.70 ERA) takes the mound for New Hampshire in Saturday’s 6:35 p.m. rematch against Richmond’s Caleb Baragar (2-0, 2.40 ERA).
