Scheduled off-day.

New Hampshire 3 @ New Britain 0 (Game 1, 7 innings) – Boxscore

Brett Cecil started the first game of the doubleheader and had his best start of the 2012 season. Cecil allowed two hits and issued a walk. He also struck out four over 5 innings. Cecil retired seven of the ten batters on balls in play on groundouts. He turned the ball over to Aaron Loup, who pitched 2 hitless innings and completed the shutout.

The Fisher Cats outhit the Rock Cats 9-2 in this game. Mark Sobolewski, John Tolisano and Brian Jeroloman each had a two-hit game. Sobolewski hit a solo homer to lead off the fourth, Tolisano hit his first triple of the season and scored a run and Jeroloman was 2-for-2 with a walk. Mike McDade hit a solo homer to lead off the fifth. Brian Van Kirk had a single and a walk and Ryan Goins added a single.

New Hampshire 3 @ New Britain 6 (Game 2, 7 innings) – Boxscore

Ryan Goins led off the top of the fourth of the second game with a solo short and, after Mark Sobolewski and Mike McDade were retired, Brad Glenn added a solo shot. Then, John Tolisano hit an infield single and raced around to score on Brian Van Kirk’s double. Unfortunately, those were four of the five hits the Fisher Cats managed on the afternoon. Tolisano added a single, but the other New Hampshire batters were held hitless. Jonathan Diaz and Justin Jackson didn’t get a hit in either game.

Joel Carreno started for New Hampshire and only allowed three hits over 3 innings in his first start since a short stint in Toronto’s bullpen. However, the third hit was a three-run homer with two-out in the bottom of the third. The homer came off the bat of Estarlin de los Santos, the number 9 hitter, and it was first of the year. Fernando Hernandez pitched 2 scoreless innings and then Danny Farquhar came in. Farquhar struck out two in his inning of relief, but also allowed three unearned runs after he committed a throwing error and took the loss.

Dunedin 7 @ Clearwater 8 – Boxscore

Asher Wojciechowski started for the D-Jays and didn’t have a strong day. Wojciechowski surrendered six runs on six hits over 3 innings. He also struggled with his command, as although he only walked one batter, he hit two others. Wojciechowski did strike out four batters. Trystan Magnuson and Dayton Martze each pitched 2 innings of one-hit relief. Martze allowed an unearned run on an Oliver Dominguez error. Danny Barnes then had a 1-2-3 8th inning.

Dunedin outhit Clearwater 13-9 (we’ll get to that 9th hit in a minute), but most of them were singles and the hitters failed to capitalize in some key opportunities. Jonathan Jones and Jon Talley were each 2-for-5 with an RBI and Jones came around to score twice. Kevin Nolan and Marcus Knecht were each 2-for-4 with a walk. Knecht had a double, which was one of Dunedin’s four extra-base hits in the game. Ryan Schimpf had two of them, as he went 3-for-4 with a double, a homer, two runs and 2 RBI and a sacrifice fly. Jack Murphy had a double and Gabe Jacobo added a single and a walk. Dominguez and Kenan Bailli each went hitless, but eached earned walks and scored a run.

Dunedin tied the game with two runs in the top of the ninth when, with two out, Jacobo singled in Schimpf and Knecht doubled in Nolan. However, all of this offence was for naught, as Barnes surrendered a game-winning homer to begin the bottom of the 9th.

Fort Wayne 5 @ Lansing 3 – Boxscore

Andrew Burns and Kevin Pillar led Lansing’s offence. Pillar was 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run, while Burns was 2-for-3 with a double, a homer, 2 RBI, a walk and a run scored. Kenny Wilson was 1-for-4 with a run scored, while leadoff hitter Jonathon Berti was held hitless but drew a walk. Carlos Perez and KC Hobson added singles and Hobson and Kellen Sweeney each worked a free pass. Chris Hawkins and Markus Brisker were held off the bases.

Jesse Hernandez had a rather solid start for the Lugnuts. He went 7 innings and allowed five hits and a pair of walks. Hernandez only struck out one, but he induced 13 grounders against four fly balls. He left with a 3-2 lead and was in line for the win. Blake McFarland pitched a scoreless eighth, striking out two. However, Ajay Meyer’s struggles continued and he blew his third save of the season. Meyer did strike out three, but he allowed a three-run homer with two out in the ninth to number 8 hitter Lee Orr that put Fort Wayne out in front and gave them the victory.

Three Stars:
3rd Star – Ryan Schimpf, 3-for-4, 2 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, SF, 7 TB
2nd Star – Brett Cecil, 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
1st Star – Andrew Burns, 2-for-3, R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB, 7 TB