Manchester ‘Chicken Tenders’ crunch Senators
In their first game as the Manchester Chicken Tenders, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (13-18) defeated the Harrisburg Senators (18-13) Saturday at Delta Dental Stadium, 6-1. New Hampshire knocked 11 hits for the second straight game.
MANCHESTER, NH — In their first game as the Manchester Chicken Tenders, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (13-18) defeated the Harrisburg Senators (18-13) Saturday at Delta Dental Stadium, 6-1. New Hampshire knocked 11 hits for the second straight game.
New Hampshire lefty Trenton Wallace (W, 2-0) cruised through six innings to earn his second win of the year in his second consecutive quality start. Wallace tossed 93 pitches, a season-high for all Fisher Cats starters.
Right fielder Devonte Brown finished 3-for-4 and scored twice, as he posted his second consecutive three-hit game and third of the week. Brown has five three-hit games and is 22-for-51 (.431) since April 23.
Harrisburg’s lone run came on the first home run of the year for Israel Pineda in the top of the second, the only lead Harrisburg would hold on Saturday.
The Chicken Tenders started a rally in the home half of the second with a single and stolen base from Brown and an RBI single by first baseman Rainer Nunez. With two outs, New Hampshire’s Zach Britton, Riley Tirotta and Garrett Spain all singled to load the bases. Second baseman Michael Turconi walked with the bases loaded to give New Hampshire a 2-1 lead.
After a pair of scoreless innings between the two teams, the heart of the New Hampshire batting order sparked a charge in the bottom of the fifth. Third baseman Alex De Jesus led off with a single and advanced to second on a passed ball; Brown snuck a grounder into left for his third hit of the day, and Nuñez chopped one to right field to plate De Jesus.
Harrisburg made a pitching change in the fifth, then intentionally walked Tirotta to face Spain. The center fielder Spain drove in two with a single to left; Nuñez and Tirotta both raced home to make the score 6-1, Chicken Tenders.
New Hampshire relievers Trevor Clifton, Eric Pardinho and Ryan Boyer combined for the final three innings and gave up no hits to secure the Saturday win.
The finale between New Hampshire and Harrisburg is Sunday, May 12, with first pitch at 1:35 PM EDT. Right-hander Michael Dominguez (0-0, 3.54 ERA) makes his second start of the series for the Cats and lefty Andrew Alvarez (1-2, 3.45 ERA) does the same for the Senators. The first 1,000 fans through the Delta Dental Stadium gates will receive a Fisher Cats sun hat, presented by Delta Dental.
The Fisher Cats are scheduled to play 69 home games in 2024 at Delta Dental Stadium. After New Hampshire’s upcoming series in Hartford against the Yard Goats, the Fisher Cats return to Delta Dental Stadium to host the Somerset Patriots in a seven-game series, beginning on Tuesday, May 21.
