(New Britain, CT)- New Britain (38-51) beat New Hampshire (39-52) for the second straight night, winning 8-3 Friday night before 6,011 at New Britain Stadium.
Rock Cat starter Errol Simonitsch (6-10) broke a personal seven-game losing streak, working 8 innings without allowing an earned run. He gave up 6 hits, walked 2 and struck out five.
New Britain 1B Doug Deeds (4-for-5, HR, 4 RBI) hit a solo homer off New Hampshire starter and loser Jesse Litsch (1-1) to give the Rock Cats their first run in the fourth inning. DH Garrett Guzman also delivered an RBI single in the inning.
The Rock Cats added a run in the fifth on a Deeds RBI single, scoring CF Denard Span (2-for-5), who had singled.
New Britain scored five more in the 7th inning to open an 8-0 lead. CF Denard Span led off with a triple and scored on a single by SS Alexia Casilla (3-for-5). LF Trent Oeltjen reached on an error before Deeds doubled home two runs with a double. 3B Matt Moses (2-for-4) followed with a double and C Kyle Geiger added an RBI single.
The Fisher Cats scored three in the 8th inning on a bases loaded double by RF David Smith.
The series continues on Saturday with a day/night doubleheader in New Britain. The afternoon contest is scheduled for 1:05pm with RHP Mike MacDonald (7-5, 3.63) scheduled to start for the Fisher Cats against New Britain RHP Kevin Slowey (1-2, 3.00). That game can be heard live on WTPL-FM 107.7 with Bob Lipman at 12:45pm.
The nightcap is scheduled for 7:05pm with RHP Ismael Ramirez (4-5, 1.69) going for New Hampshire against New Britain LHP Jay Sawatski (1-0, 3.99). That game will be televised by Comcast Cable on CN8.
The Fisher Cats return home to start a seven-game homestand on Monday night with the Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox) at 6:35pm. There will be jumbo baseball card giveaway and the first 500 kids eat free. For tickets, visit
www.nhfishercats.com or call 603-641-2005.