Rock Cats Secure a Winning Season; Defeat New Hampshire 6-3

Published on August 31, 2014 under Eastern League (EL1)
New Britain Rock Cats News Release


New Britain, CT - The New Britain Rock Cats downed the New Hampshire Fisher Cats by the score of 6-3 on Sunday afternoon at New Britain Stadium.

CF Eddie Rosario launched a solo home run off the hitting tunnel just beyond the wall in right field to give New Britain a 1-0 lead after one inning of play. The longball off of New Hampshire starter RHP Ben White was Rosario's eighth of the season and gave him home runs in back-to-back games.

New Britain starter RHP Adrian Salcedo was called upon once again as manager Jeff Smith was faced with a bullpen game situation. Sunday's originally scheduled starter, RHP Jose Berrios, was called up to Triple-A Rochester, along with LHP Ryan O'Rourke, for the Red Wings series against the Pawtucket Red Sox.

The hard-throwing right hander held the Fisher Cats hitless and scoreless until the fifth inning, when both CF Melky Mesa and C Derrick Chung both cracked doubles into outfield gaps, seeing Mesa cross the plate to tie the game 1-1. Visiting New Hampshire went on to take the lead two batters later when Chung came home on a base hit from 2B Jorge Flores.

The Rock Cats reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the fifth, picking up three runs on four hits, knocking White out of the game in the process. New Britain's run parade started when both RF Mike Kvasnicka and 3B Stephen Wickens reached base safely with one out and then C Kyle Knudson lifted a fly ball over CF Michael Crouse's head to score Kvasnicka. LF Corey Wimberly then shot a single past a diving Flores to bring Wickens in from third, putting New Britain ahead 3-2. Rosario picked up his second RBI of the day after hitting a sacrifice fly to deep centerfield, giving Knudson enough time to cross the plate.

Knudson's bloop single with runners on first and third in the bottom of the second fell in for New Britain's fifth run of the day.

New Hampshire began chipping away at the deficit in the top of the eighth inning, picking up a run on a single from 1B KC Hobson that scored RF Matt Newman. Newman led off the inning with a double off of RHP Madison Boer, who was making his second appearance with the Rock Cats. Boer ran into a little trouble with two outs, leaving runners on first and third before RHP Cole Johnson came in to get Chung to fly out to right and hold the Fisher Cats to the single run.

The Cats' went up 6-3 in the bottom of the eighth on a RBI single from Wimberly, his second one of the day. The speedy outfielder sent RHP Dustin Antolin's offering through the hole at second, bringing home Kvasnicka, who singled to start the frame. Wimberly was then thrown out trying to stretch the base hit into a double.

Salcedo was outstanding in the emergency start, allowing just the two runs over six innings of work. He struck out six and did not allow any free passes, seeing his record improve to 3-9. Boer earns his second hold in as many games while Johnson slammed the door on his ninth save of the season.

White falls to 1-1 in his second Eastern League start, allowing four runs, all earned, on six hits while walking one and striking out seven.

The final game of the 2014 season will get underway at 1:35 p.m. on Monday afternoon. The Rock Cats' starter is TBD as Salcedo was called into action a day early. New Hampshire tabbed RHP Casey Lawrence with the pitching duties in the season finale.

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Eastern League Stories from August 31, 2014


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