NH Fisher Cats Sweep Doubleheader with Harrisburg, downs Harrisburg 6-3, 5-4 to win fourth-consecutive series!

NH Fisher Cats Vs. Harrisburg
'Cats sweep doubleheader 6-3, 5-4 to win fourth-consecutive series.

Harrisburg, PA [May 31, 2017] - The New Hampshire Fisher Cats swept the Harrisburg Senators in a doubleheader at FNB Field Wednesday, securing their fourth consecutive series victory to improve to 9-2 in their last 11 games.

New Hampshire trailed early in game one. Starter Conner Greene (W, 2-4) allowed a lead-off single to Alec Keller, who advanced to third on back-to-back groundouts. The right-hander surrendered the only earned run of his outing during the next at-bat when a wild pitch allowed Keller to score from third to give Harrisburg a 1-0 advantage.

The Fisher Cats took the lead for good in the fourth. Ryan McBroom reached on a strikeout-wild pitch and Harold Ramirez followed with a perfectly executed seeing-eye single to right field on a hit and run play. Up stepped Tim Lopes, who roped a double down the right field line to plate a pair and put the 'Cats up 2-1. After a fly out, Gunnar Heidt and Derrick Loveless hit consecutive doubles to score another two runs to put New Hampshire out in front 4-1.

A two-run seventh padded the Fisher Cats advantage. Loveless and Jonathan Davis singled to start the inning and Richard Urena - who entered the frame with two hits to his name already - lined a base hit to centerfield to score the lead runner and put Davis at third. Danny Jansen followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Davis and made it 6-1.

Greene worked into the seventh inning, recording two outs in the stanza before an error and a home run bounced him from the game. Alonzo Gonzalez came on in relief and struck out Keller to end any chance for a Harrisburg comeback and secure a 6-3 'Cats triumph.

GAME TWO

It was the Fisher Cats who struck first in the nightcap, tagging Senators starter John Simms (L, 2-3) for a run in the opening inning after Jonathan Davis worked a lead-off walk, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Richard Urena ground out.

In the third, it was Davis sparking the offense again; the Camden, Arkansas native laced a double off the left-centerfield wall and scored when Urena singled him home to make it 2-0 New Hampshire.

Right-hander Josh DeGraaf made his first-career Double-A start and held Harrisburg scoreless until the third, when he allowed a lead-off double, recorded two outs then allowed back to back run-scoring hits that tied the game 2-2.

The score wasn't even for long. Gunnar Heidt crushed a solo home run - his fifth of the season - to left field to begin the fourth to put the 'Cats back out in front. New Hampshire added a pair in the fifth when Andrew Guillote walked and scored on an Urena triple. The latter came across two batters later after Harold Ramirez lined a single to right field.

After DeGraaf's departure following the third inning, Andrew Case (W, 3-0) took over from there. The right-hander tossed three scoreless innings to earn his third win in relief this season.

Leading 5-2 entering the bottom of the seventh, the Fisher Cats were nearly victimized by a two-out rally from the Senators. Dusty Isaacs (H, 1) retired the first two hitters but issued back-to-back walks to extend the frame. After Neftali Soto - whose 16-game hitting streak was snapped in game one - singled to centerfield to load the bases, 'Cats manager Gary Allenson called on Jose Fernandez (S, 3) to try and put out the fire. After the southpaw surrendered a broken bat single that scored a pair, Fernandez got Isaac Ballou to pop out in foul ground to end the game and strand the tying run at third in what was a 5-4 New Hampshire victory.

With the win, the Fisher Cats (21-30) are less than ten games under .500 for the first time since May 7, when they were 10-19. The doubleheader sweep is New Hampshire's second of 2017.

The series concludes Thursday night at FNB Field in Harrisburg. Shane Dawson (1-5, 6.16 ERA) will be opposed by Jaron Long (4-4, 2.65 ERA).

► MORE 2017 Fisher Cats Coverage.

Posted 6/1/17