NH Fisher Cats Fall to Reading Fightin Phils on 5/3/18.

NH Fisher Cats Fall before Reading Fightin Phils.

It's A Doubleheader Sweep!

Late rallies help 'Cats defeat Rumble Ponies in 6-5 & 4-2 triumphs

BINGHAMTON, NY [5-5-18] - The New Hampshire Fisher Cats - buoyed by two multi-hit showings for Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. - swept a doubleheader against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies Saturday afternoon at NYSEG Stadium to improve their record to a league-best 17-9.

GAME 1

Trailing 4-0 after two innings and 5-1 after six, New Hampshire put together a five-run top of the seventh to take a 6-5 lead.

The stanza began with a base hit from Harold Ramirez - his second of the game - and continued with a single from Andrew Guillotte. A hit batsman loaded the bases for Jonathan Davis, who stepped up two batters later and singled to right field, scoring Ramirez from third to cut the deficit to three runs.

After Bo Bichette reached on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded to force home a run in what became a 5-3 game, there were runners at the corners with two outs and Vlad Jr. at the dish. The 19-year-old top prospect - who finished the day with a .398 batting average - doubled down the left field line to score two and tie it at five. Two batters later, Juan Kelly ripped an RBI double to score Vlad and put the 'Cats up 6-5.

Andrew Case (S, 2) managed to strand the tying run at third base in the bottom of the inning to secure the comeback win.

Jose Fernandez (W, 2-0) pitched two innings of relief and allowed one run on one hit (a home run), walked three and struck out one.

GAME 2

As in the first game, Binghamton jumped on the board in the opening frame but New Hampshire plated a pair in the third to take a 2-1 lead. With Davis at second following an error, Bichette laced a double into the right field corner to tie the game at one. Guerrero Jr. followed with a loud single off the left field wall to score Bichette and put the 'Cats up by a single run.

The Rumble Ponies tied it in the bottom of the third and it stayed 2-2 until the sixth, when the Fisher Cats broke through for two scores. Ramirez doubled with one out and Connor Panas plated him with a two-out RBI single two batters later. After consecutive walks to Davis and Bichette to load the bases, a wild pitch allowed Panas to score and put New Hampshire up 4-2.

Jordan Romano (W, 5-0) made his sixth start for the 'Cats and - despite giving up a first inning run after consecutive one out walks and an RBI single - continued to show why he's ranked among the top 30 Blue Jays prospects. The Markham, Ontario native allowed just two hits (the other was a solo home run in the third) over 5.1 innings pitched to earn his team-best fifth victory. He walked four and struck out six.

Romano, Kirby Snead (H, 1) and Justin Shafer (S, 1) combined to retire 13 of the last 15 Binghamton batters to secure the 4-2 win and a doubleheader sweep.

Vlad Jr. went a combined 4 for 8 with three RBI and two runs scored. He's now hit safely in a team-high 11 consecutive games. Ramirez finished with four hits in seven trips between both games.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon in the Parlor City. RHP Nick Tepesch (1-2, 4.50 ERA) of the Fisher Cats will be opposed by Binghamton right-hander Nabil Crismatt (2-1, 2.28 ERA). Coverage begins at 1:45 p.m. and continues with first pitch at 2:05 p.m. on the WGIR Fisher Cats Radio Network.

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Posted 5/5/18