EL1 New Hampshire Fisher Cats

Dopirak hits 2 HRs, has 8 RBIs in 18-6 rout of Defenders

Published on May 8, 2009 under Eastern League (EL1)
New Hampshire Fisher Cats News Release


Manchester, NH- Brian Dopirak went 5-for-6 with two home runs, a triple, two doubles and a franchise-record 8 RBIs as the New Hampshire Fisher Cats opened a three-game series with an 18-6 victory over the Connecticut Defenders on Friday night at Merchantsauto.com Stadium. The Fisher Cats set season highs with 18 runs and 20 hits, and Dopirak's 15 total bases set another club record.

Brad Emaus (3-for-4, HR, 2B, BB, HBP, 3 RBI, 4 R) gave New Hampshire (17-11) a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning with a solo home run, his third, off Connecticut starter Jesse English.

The Defenders (12-15) grabbed a 3-1 lead in the top of the third inning on a run-scoring single from Brad Boyer (1-for-5, RBI, R) and a two-run single by Bobby Felmy (1-for-4, 2 RBI, BB) off Fisher Cats' starter Randy Boone.

New Hampshire deadlocked the game, 3-3, when Dopirak blasted his first home run of the night over the right-centerfield wall with Emaus, who doubled, aboard in the bottom of the third.

Connecticut once again took the lead, 5-3, in the top of the fifth inning against Boone when Eddy Martinez-Esteve (2-for-4, HR, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI) and Brett Pill (1-for-5, 2B, RBI) both hit RBI doubles.

The Fisher Cats responded by plating two runs in the home half of the fifth on Dopirak's second blast of the night and seventh of the season, a two-run shot off losing pitcher Dan Griffin that slammed off the facing of the Samuel Adams Bar & Grill in left, tying the game 5-5.

New Hampshire scored four runs in the sixth inning when Adam Calderone (2-for-3, 2B, 2 BB, 3 R) doubled and scored on an RBI single from Luis Sanchez (1-for-5, BB, 2 RBI, R) off Griffin (1-2). After Emaus walked, reliever Mike Musgrave served up Dopirak's two-run double, giving the Fishers an 8-5 lead. David Cooper (2-for-6, 2 RBI) made it 9-5 with a single to right, scoring Dopirak.

The Defenders cut the deficit to 9-6 when Martinez-Esteve led off the top of the seventh by hitting David Shinskie's first pitch over the wall in right-centerfield for his second homer of the season.

The Fisher Cats tacked on three more runs in the seventh inning when Al Quintana (5-for-6, 2 2B, 2 R) scored on Musgrave's wild pitch and Emaus slapped a two-run single to right for a 12-6 lead.

New Hampshire wrapped up the blowout by scoring six more times in the bottom of the eighth against Geivy Garcia on a two-run double by Cody Haerther (1-for-6, 2B, 2 RBI, R), Sanchez's RBI ground out, Dopirak's two-run double and a run-scoring single by Cooper.

Rommie Lewis (1-2) picked up his first win by working around a pair of walks in one scoreless inning of relief.

The Fisher Cats reached the 20-hit plateau for only the third time in team history. Dopirak and Quintana became the third and fourth Fisher Cats to ever record a five-hit game, and the first teammates to accomplish the feat in the same game.

New Hampshire and Connecticut play the second game of their three-game series Saturday afternoon at 1:05pm when Fisher Cats' left-hander Marc Rzepczynski (5-1, 3.06) bids for his Eastern League-leading sixth victory against Defenders' righty-hander Henry Sosa (1-0, 2.35). Radio coverage begins at 12:45pm with the BayRing Pre-Game Show on the WGIR Fisher Cats Radio Network with Bob Lipman and Mike Murphy.

The first 1,000 children in attendance at Merchantsauto.com Stadium on Saturday will receive a free NAPA Auto Parts Fisher Cats Jersey Bag. For tickets, call (603) 641-2005 or visit www.nhfishercats.com.

Check out the New Hampshire Fisher Cats Statistics

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Eastern League Stories from May 8, 2009


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