EL1 New Hampshire Fisher Cats

Fisher Cats storm past Defenders, 11-7

Published on August 18, 2009 under Eastern League (EL1)
New Hampshire Fisher Cats News Release


Manchester, NH- Nick Gorneault's tape-measure, three-run home run capped a five-run eighth inning, highlighting the New Hampshire Fisher Cats' come-from-behind 11-7 triumph over the Connecticut Defenders on Tuesday night at Merchantsauto.com Stadium in the opening game of a pivotal three-game series. The Fisher Cats overcame separate deficits of three runs and four runs en route to their third straight victory, a win that went to 19-year-old reliever Tim Collins in his Eastern League debut.

Trailing 7-6 in the home half of the eighth, Todd Donovan (2-for-3, 2B, BB, 4 R) led off with a bunt single off losing pitcher Matt Yourkin, and Manny Mayorson (3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R) lined a single to left. One out later, David Cooper (2-for-4, 2B, BB, 2 RBI, 2 R) doubled off the top of the wall in deep center, allowing Donovan to cross the plate for the fourth time in the game, tying the score 7-7. Al Quintana (1-for-3, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB, R) was intentionally walked to load the bases. Yourkin then uncorked a wild pitch, scoring Mayorson with the go-ahead run. One out later, Gorneault (2-for-4, HR, BB, 3 RBI) smashed his fifth homer, a 400-foot-plus blast that cleared the far right edge of the Samuel Adams Bar & Grill, giving the Fisher Cats the commanding four-run lead.

Collins (1-0) struck out two of the three batters he faced in the eighth inning to earn the win in his Double-A premiere. Collins, Wil Ledezma, Leon Boyd and Danny Farquhar combined for five frames of two-hit shutout baseball in relief of ineffective starter Adrian Martin.

Yourkin (5-2) was tagged with the loss after surrendering five runs on four hits and a walk in one inning to see his ERA balloon from 1.92 to 2.67 for Connecticut (69-52)

With two outs in the top of the second, Bobby Felmy (2-for-4, HR, 4 RBI) drilled a three-run home run, his fifth, off Martin to give the Defenders the early 3-0 lead. Mike McBryde (fielder's choice) and Tyler LaTorre (single) scored on the homer.

New Hampshire immediately responded in the home half of the third against Jesse English when Donovan reached on an error, Mayorson singled and Cooper drew a walk to load the bases with two outs. Quintana smacked the first pitch he saw to the wall in left-center, clearing the bases with a three-run double that tied the score, 3-3.

The Defenders got to Martin again in the top of the fourth. Following a leadoff single by McBryde (1-for-4, 2 R), Tyler LaTorre (2-for-4, 2B, RBI, 2 R) raked a run-scoring double down the right field line, Felmy scored LaTorre with a single to center, Brock Bond (2-for-3, 2B, 2 BB, R) reached on an infield hit and Brad Boyer (2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI) ripped a two-run double off the wall in left for a 7-3 lead.

The Fisher Cats answered with some two-out magic in the bottom of the fourth when Brian Jeroloman (0-for-3, BB, R) and Donovan drew back-to-back walks, and Mayorson knocked them both in with a two-run double to left, cutting the Defenders' lead to 7-5.

Cooper added a two-out RBI single in the sixth against reliever Dan Griffin, plating Donovan, who had doubled, to make it a 7-6 game.

The Fisher Cats produced nine two-out RBIs and erased their largest deficit of the season in a victory.

New Hampshire and Connecticut meet in the second game of their three-game series at Merchantsauto.com Stadium on Wednesday night at 7:05pm when Fisher Cats left-hander Luis Perez (8-10, 3.76) opposes Defenders right-hander Daryl Maday (5-4, 3.65). Radio coverage gets underway with the BayRing Pre-Game Show at 6:45pm on the WGIR Fisher Cats Radio Network with Mike Murphy and Bob Lipman.

The first 1,000 kids in attendance on Wednesday night receive a free Brian Dopirak T-Shirt. For tickets, visit www.nhfishercats.com or call (603) 641-2005.

Check out the New Hampshire Fisher Cats Statistics

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Eastern League Stories from August 18, 2009


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