Cat Fight Goes 14 Innings; New Hampshire Tops New Britain 7-4

Published on April 21, 2014 under Eastern League (EL1)
New Britain Rock Cats News Release


New Britain, CT - The Rock Cats were bested by the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in 14 innings by the score of 7-4 Monday night at New Britain Stadium.

The visiting Fisher Cats took the lead for the first time in the top of the 14th, scoring three runs on three hits and extending the Rock Cats losing streak to five. The two clubs were tied after eight and played an additional five scoreless before New Hampshire broke through.

The Rock Cats offense gave starter LHP Pat Dean some early run support in the bottom of the first. Three straight singles, capped by a broken bat flair out to leftfield by 1B Kennys Vargas, gave the home side a 1-0 lead.

New Hampshire answered with a lead-off home run from DH Brad Glenn to start the second, quickly tying the game at 1-1.

DH Nate Hanson started the bottom of the second with a bang, hammering RHP Scott Copeland's offering over the wall in left-center for his first home run of the 2014 season, putting the Rock Cats ahead 2-1.

New Britain would tack on two more in the fourth, the first coming from a single by RF Daniel Ortiz to bring home 3B Brandon Waring, who led off the inning with a single of his own, and then it was 2B Tony Thomas who hustled from third on one of Copeland's three wild pitches.

The Fisher Cats chipped away in both the fifth and sixth innings to pull within one. The first run coming off of a fielding error by SS Aderlin Mejia on a 2B Jon Berti double, allowing LF Michael Crouse to come across the plate. Glenn followed up an inning later with his second solo home run of the evening to make it a 4-3 game.

New Hampshire completed the comeback in the top of the eighth, taking advantage of a fielding error by Vargas. With Glenn at third, SS Andy Burns bounced a ground ball deep in the hole at second that 2B Tony Thomas was able to track down but his throw glanced off of Vargas' glove, allowing in the tying run.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Rock Cats had the winning run on third following two wild pitches by New Hampshire reliever LHP Tyler Ybarra, moving Vargas from first to third after his one-out single. Ybarra however regained his composure and came back to strike out both Rodriguez and C Matt Koch to push the game into extra innings.

The Rock Cats once again appeared to have momentum on their side following a one-out, double off the wall from Waring, however the shortstop Burns made a tremendous play, stopping the rally in its tracks. In the following at-bat, Mejia sent a line drive into the hole but Burns made an all-out dive to his right to snag the liner and double off Waring who was heading to third.

New Hampshire attempt to go-ahead in the 11th fell just short after reliever RHP Dan Turpen put on the first two runners - a walk to 1B Gabe Jacabo and then a fielding error by Turpen on Crouse's sacrifice bunt. A successful sacrifice bunt advanced the runners to second and third, but a comebacker to the pitcher put away Jacabo at third and pop-fly to right ended the threat.

The game remained tied 4-4 all the way until the top of the 14th when the Fisher Cats executed a successful hit-and-run - sending CF Kenny Wilson all the way from first on a double down the leftfield line by Berti, giving them their first lead of the ballgame. RHP Adrian Salcedo was tagged with two more runs before recording the third out, putting the visitors ahead 7-4.

Connecticut native Dean went 5 1/3 innings, leaving the game with the lead but ultimately getting the ND. He allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits while walking three and striking out three. New Britain relievers, six in all, allowed just one run on two hits over six and one-third innings before the three runs coming in against Salcedo, who suffered the loss (0-2)

Copeland threw 95 pitches for the Fisher Cats over 4 2/3 innings, allowing four runs, all earned, on nine hits. The righthander walked one and struck out five, but like Dean, would not factor into the decision. New Hampshire would use five relievers en route to the win - with RHP Scott Gracey picking up the win (1-1) and RHP Gregory Infante securing his third save of 2014.

New Britain continues their four-game series against the Fisher Cats Tuesday night at 6:35 p.m. The Rock Cats send RHP Virgil Vasquez while visiting New Hampshire calls upon RHP Casey Lawerence.

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Eastern League Stories from April 21, 2014


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