MANCHESTER, NH – The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (11-16) dropped both games of a Sunday doubleheader to the Portland Sea Dogs (16-9) at Delta Dental Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Despite a two-run home run from New Hampshire designated hitter RJ Schreck in the bottom of the seventh, the Sea Dogs scored a pair of runs in the top of the inning to take game one, 6-5.
Portland held a 5-0 lead into game two before the Fisher Cats scored their lone run in the top of the seventh as they played as the road team to make up for a postponement from April 13 in Portland. The Fisher Cats threatened with runners at second and third before the game was delayed, then officially called to weather.
Portland opened the scoring on shortstop Mikey Romero’s third home run of the series in the bottom of the first inning. The Sea Dogs’ remaining four runs were sprinkled across the next five frames. Right fielder Caden Rose cashed in on a New Hampshire throwing error to make it a 2-0 game after two innings. Portland walked in a run in the bottom of the fourth and plated its fourth run on another Fisher Cats’ throwing error. Romero knocked an RBI double to score Rose in the bottom of the sixth to elevate Portland’s lead to 5-0 going into the top of the seventh.
The Fisher Cats’ lone run came on second baseman Ryan McCarty’s RBI groundout, before the game was called with Portland leading 5-1.
New Hampshire started the game one with three-straight base knocks to grab a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Right fielder Yohendrick Piñango striped a single up the middle before Schreck sent a double to the right-center field gap to put two runners in scoring position with no outs. Left fielder Jace Bohrofen then barreled a line drive off the left-center field wall to plate both runs but was thrown own trying to extend his double to a triple.
Portland responded with three-straight singles to start the top of the third inning. Designated hitter Mikey Romero notched an RBI single, center fielder Jhostynxon Garcia plated a run on a sacrifice fly and third baseman Blaze Jordan hit an RBI single to take a 3-2 lead.
The Fisher Cats matched the score in the bottom of the fourth when third baseman Charles McAdoo reached base on a walk and stole second base. Second baseman Cade Doughty singled to put runners on the corners for center fielder Dasan Brown, who belted a single to left field, scoring McAdoo and tied the score at 3-3.
Portland’s Jordan gave the Sea Dogs a lead with a solo homer in the top of the fifth before Portland added two more runs in the seventh on a two-RBI single from catcher Ronald Rosario to take a 6-3 advantage.
Trailing by three going into the bottom of the seventh inning, Yohendrick Piñango was struck by a pitch from Portland reliever Wyatt Olds. After pinch-runner Ryan McCarty replaced Piñango at first base, Schreck turned on an 0-1 fastball and sent it over the right field wall for a two-run homer. It was Schreck’s second home run of the series and brought the Fisher Cats to within one. Olds bounced back with a strikeout before allowing a double to McAdoo and an intentional walk to first baseman Peyton Williams to put runners on first and second with one out. Olds secured the doubleheader sweep with back-to-back strikeouts to earn Portland’s sixth win of an eight-game series, 6-5.
New Hampshire stays home and welcomes the Hartford Yard Goats to Delta Dental Stadium for a six-game series starting on Tuesday, May 6. First pitch for Tuesday’s contest is at 5:35 PM EDT. Neither team has announced a starter for game one.