Fisher Cats Hang on for 9-7 Victory over Curve on Sunday Night
August 16, 2009 - Eastern League (EL1)
New Hampshire Fisher Cats News Release
Altoona, PA- Darin Mastroianni and Scott Campbell combined for six hits, three RBIs and three runs scored, Kenny Rodriguez allowed three runs over six innings to register his third victory, and Nate Starner staved off a ninth-inning rally for his second save in the New Hampshire Fisher Cats' 9-7 win over the Altoona Curve on Sunday night at Blair County Ballpark.
The Fisher Cats (55-65) took two out of three from the Curve (50-72) over the weekend and went 4-2 on their six-game trip that began with three games in Bowie, moving to within five games of the Northern Division Wild Card playoff spot.
A fielding error on Curve third baseman Eddie Prasch set the stage for the Fisher Cats to score four unearned runs off Mike Crotta in the top of the second inning. Al Quintana (1-for-5, 2 R) reached on the error and moved to second on Manny Mayorson's single to left. With two outs, Bryan Kervin (1-for-4, RBI, R) hit an RBI single to center, Mastroianni (3-for-5, 2 SB, 2 RBI, 2 R) drove in two runs with a single to left, stole second and scored on Campbell's single up the middle for a 4-0 lead.
Altoona got one back in the bottom of the second against Rodriguez. Following back-to-back two-out walks to Steve Lerud (0-for-4, BB, R) and Jonel Pacheco (0-for-2, 2 BB, R), Ray Chang (3-for-4, 2 2B, RBI, 2 R) ripped a run-scoring double to left, reducing the Fishers' lead to 4-1.
New Hampshire parlayed more porous Altoona defense into another unearned run in the top of the third when David Cooper (1-for-5, R) lined a shot that first baseman Miles Durham missed for a two-base error. Cooper scored on an opposite-field double by Brian Jeroloman (1-for-4, 2B, SF, 2 RBI), and Quintana, who singled, scored on Mayorson's RBI ground out, building the lead to 6-1.
The Fisher Cats chased Crotta in the fourth when Mastroianni singled, stole second, moved to third on Campbell's third single of the game and scored on a wild pitch ball-four to Adam Calderone (0-for-4, BB, R). Cooper singled to load the bases, Jeroloman plated Campbell with a sacrifice fly, and Calderone scored on a single by Mayorson (2-for-5, 2 RBI, R), staking the Fisher Cats to a commanding 9-1 lead.
Altoona notched two runs in the fifth inning against Rodriguez on a two-run triple from Gorkys Hernandez (2-for-4, 3B, HBP, 2 RBI, R), scoring Pacheco (single) and Chang (single), cutting the New Hampshire lead to 9-3.
The Curve added four runs in the top of the ninth on a two-run double by Shelby Ford (1-for-3, 2B, 2 BB, 2 RBI), a run-scoring ground out by Pedro Alvarez (1-for-4, 2B, RBI) and Durham's run-scoring double off Starner. All four runs were charged to Matt Hensley.
Starner earned his second save when he retired Lerud on a game-ending ground out, working one scoreless inning, yielding one hit and notching one strikeout.
Rodriguez (3-3) allowed three runs on three hits in six frames to earn his first road victory of the season. The right-hander struck out three and walked four.
Crotta (6-7) saw his personal two-game winning streak snapped when he was reached for nine runs -four earned- on nine hits in three-plus innings. He struck out two and walked one.
Following an off day on Monday, the Fisher Cats return to New Hampshire to open a three-game series at Merchantsauto.com Stadium against the Connecticut Defenders on Tuesday night at 7:05pm. New Hampshire right-hander Adrian Martin (2-2, 3.41) squares off against Connecticut left-hander Jesse English (7-7, 3.72). Radio coverage begins at 6:45pm with the BayRing Pre-Game Show on the WGIR Fisher Cats Radio Network with Bob Lipman and Mike Murphy.
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.
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Eastern League Stories from August 16, 2009
- Baysox Find A Gem - Chesapeake Baysox
- Fisher Cats Hang on for 9-7 Victory over Curve on Sunday Night - New Hampshire Fisher Cats
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