Two wins in three contests. The Syracuse bullpen lost the game while Dunedin won in the ninth. New Hampshire flirted with disaster but Lee Gronkiewicz saved the day. Adam Lind, John-Ford Griffin, Wayne Lydon, Chip Cannon and Eric Kratz hit home runs.
All good things must come to an end as the bullpen lost the game for the Chiefs. The Chiefs had trailed 4-2 after five but scored three runs in the sixth and seventh to take a 5-4 lead. Adam Lind drove in a run in the first with a double and homered in the sixth as part of a 2-4 game. John-Ford Griffin also went 2-4 with a homerun. Josh Banks started for the Chiefs and had a typical Banks start, four runs allowed in six innings including a home run allowed. But then Beau Kemp and Ryan Houston, with a John Hattig error, allowed Durham to score five runs in the eighth.
They did play ball in New Hampshire yesterday after a couple of false starts. Mike MacDonald started and as a Maine native would be familiar with the weather. MacDonald allowed three runs in the third but that was all he allowed in his 5 innings. The Cats scored three in the third, two of them on a Wayne Lydon home run. Eric Kratz added a two run home run in the fifth and Chip Cannon homered in the sixth. Tracey Thorpe almost lost the game in the eighth when he allowed two runs and left the game with the bases loaded and one out but Lee Gronkiewicz saved the day and the game. Eric Kratz was the only Fisher Cat with two hits.
Dunedin scored three runs in the seventh and two in the ninth to come back from a 3-0 deficit. Russell Savickas started and gave up three runs in 5.1 innings. Anthony Hatch tripled and drove in two runs in the seventh, and then scored on a sac fly. Hatch also singled and scored in the ninth when Eric Nielsen doubled in two go-ahead runs. Hatch, Nielsen and Anthony Garibaldi each had two hits.
Fort Wayne at Lansing - postponed
Postponement number three.
Three star selection
3rd star - Eric Nielsen, broke tie game in ninth with a 2 run double
2nd star - Lee Gronkiewicz, saved Cats from based loaded situation
1st star - Anthony Hatch, 2 runs, 2 RBI's, two hits