Fishers Edge Rock Cats

Published on July 26, 2011 under Eastern League (EL1)
New Britain Rock Cats News Release


NEW BRITAIN, CT - The Rock Cats scratched back after falling behind by four runs but fell just short of a comeback as New Hampshire held on for a 5-4 victory.

The Rock Cats took an early 1-0 lead when Mike Hollimon led off the bottom of the first inning with a shot over the right field wall.

New Hampshire answered back in the top of the second. Mark Sobolewski, a native of New Haven, led off the inning with a double to center and John Tolisano followed with a home run to center field to put the Fisher Cats on top, 2-1.

The Fisher Cats struck for three more runs off Rock Cats starter Deinys Suarez in the fifth. Justin Jackson and Jonathan Diaz started the inning off with consecutive singles and both runners moved into scoring position on an error by right fielder Chris Parmelee on Diaz' hit. Suarez struck out the next batter before walking Anthony Gose to load the bases with one out. Jackson scored on Mike McDade's single for the 3-1 advantage. With Travis d'Arnaud at the plate, Suarez unleashed a wild pitch that bounced high behind the plate and catcher Jair Fernandez lost track of to allow two runs to cross the plate.

After Hollimon's leadoff homer, New Hampshire starter B.J. LaMura shut down the Rock Cats into the sixth inning.

The Rock Cats broke out their bats in the sixth to claw back within one run. Nathan Hanson started off the inning with a double to right field that would knock LaMaura from the game. Hanson moved to third on a wild pitch by Rey Gonzalez with Joe Benson at the plate. Benson then lined a single to left field to knock in Hanson. Yangervis Solarte moved Benson to second with a one out single and Jair Fernandez followed with a base hit that scored Benson. Deibinson Romero then laced a double into center field to score Solarte to close the gap, 5-4. Gonzalez intentionally walked Mark Dolenc to load the bases. Chris Cates launched a fly ball to left field that was caught by Jackson for the second out. Jackson then fired a strike to d'Arnaud to nail Fernadez at the plate for the final out of the inning.

In the eighth, the Rock Cats made some noise after the first two batters flied out. Benson reached base on a single and moved to third on Parmelee's base hit into right. Solarte, the Rock Cats' top hitter, drilled a shot to right field but Moises Sierra nabbed the ball the end the inning.

New Hampshire's Evan Crawford struck out the side in the eighth to hold the lead for the Fisher Cats. He closed out the game in the ninth to notch his first save.

LaMaura (5-4) was charged with two runs on four hits and three walks in five innings. Suarez (1-5) suffered the loss for the Rock Cats, allowing five runs on seven hits and four walks. He struck out six in seven innings.

ALLSTATE PLAYER OF THE GAME: DH John Tolisano went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run. He scored a run and two RBI, both coming on his two-run homer in the second that put the Fisher Cats on top.

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Eastern League Stories from July 26, 2011


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