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EL1 New Hampshire Fisher Cats

Cooper hits HR, double, in 3-2 loss to Altoona

August 14, 2009 - Eastern League (EL1)
New Hampshire Fisher Cats News Release


Altoona, PA- David Cooper belted his eighth home run and clubbed his 27th double, but he was tagged out at home plate attempting to score on Darin Mastroianni's two-out bunt in the top of the ninth inning, allowing the Altoona Curve to hang on for a 3-2 triumph over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Friday night at Blair County Ballpark.

Altoona (50-69) scored an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth to go ahead, 3-2, when Jonathan Diaz threw wildly on Jeff Corsaletti's two-out fielder's choice grounder, allowing Pedro Alvarez to score the game-winning run. Alvarez (3-for-3, HR, BB, 2 R) reached on an infield single off Leon Boyd and moved to second on Miles Durham's single.

Diaz (1-for-3, RBI), just a half-inning earlier, tied the game 2-2 by grounding a two-out single to left off Daniel Moskos, allowing Adam Calderone (1-for-3, 3B, R), who laced his team-leading fifth triple, to score.

Boyd (1-4) was saddled with the loss after yielding one run, unearned, in 1.1 innings. The right-hander struck out two and hit a batter.

Moskos (9-9) avenged his loss at Merchantsauto.com Stadium last Saturday by holding the Fisher Cats (53-65) to two runs on five hits in a career-high eight innings of work, fanning six.

Ramon Aguero, making his Double-A debut, pitched a scoreless ninth for his first career save. After Cooper doubled and advanced to third on a ground out by Al Quintana (2-for-4), Aguero fielded Mastroianni's bunt and threw Cooper out at the plate to close it out.

Leading off the top of the second inning, Cooper (2-for-4, HR, 2B) tagged a 2-2 offering from Moskos over the right-centerfield fence to stake New Hampshire to a 1-0 lead. It was Cooper's first homer off a left-handed pitcher this season.

Altoona drew even in the home half of the third against Fisher Cats' starter Sean Smith when Shelby Ford (1-for-2, 2B, IW, R), who drove in nine runs during a three-game series at Merchantsauto.com Stadium last weekend, doubled to the left-centerfield gap and scored on Brian Friday's two-out single to left.

Alvarez put the Curve in front, 2-1, when he launched a solo homer, his ninth, over the right-centerfield wall in the fourth.

Smith departed after allowing two runs on three hits and two walks, with four strikeouts, in four innings.

Nate Starner worked 2.2 shutout innings of relief, yielding two hits and walking two, one intentionally.

The Fisher Cats and Curve meet for the second game of their three-game set Saturday night at 7:05pm with New Hampshire sending right-hander Randy Boone (8-7, 4.07) to the mound in search of a team-leading ninth victory against unbeaten Altoona righty Yoslan Herrera (9-0, 3.38). Radio coverage begins at 6:45pm with the BayRing Pre-Game Show on the WGIR Fisher Cats Radio Network with Mike Murphy.

The Fisher Cats open a three-game series at Merchantsauto.com Stadium against the Connecticut Defenders on Tuesday, August 18, at 7:05pm. The first 1,000 kids in attendance will receive a Free Fisher Cats Backpack, courtesy of U.S. Cellular, and it will be Halloween Night, in conjunction with Fright Kingdom. The night will include trick-or-treating and a costume contest for the fans. For tickets, visit www.nhfishercats.com or call (603) 641-2005.

Check out the New Hampshire Fisher Cats Statistics

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