MANCHESTER, N.H. — John Tolisano took his turn Sunday.

New Hampshire’s designated hitter pulled the first pitch he saw from Portland relief pitcher Eamonn Portice just over the right field fence to give the Fisher Cats a 5-4, ninth-inning win over the Sea Dogs at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium.

The home team won in its last at-bat for the second night in a row. Saturday, Moises Sierra did the damage with a home run in the bottom of the 12th inning for a 7-6 win.

“It’s unfortunate, we made some good pitches to get through quite a few tough innings,” said Portland catcher Tim Federowicz, who picked off a couple of Fisher Cat runners at first base. “It’s kind of tough, losing two nights in a row on walk-offs.”

The ball barely cleared the wall.

Portice struck out the first batter he faced in the ninth, but gave up a two-out homer to Travis d’Arnaud in the eighth that tied the game.

The Fisher Cats improved to 51-36 and the Sea Dogs dropped to 34-54. The teams close out this series with a game at 12:05 p.m. today and then break for the Eastern League All-Star game that will be played here on Wednesday.

Right fielder Jeremy Hazelbaker’s third home run of the season and second against New Hampshire gave the Sea Dogs their only lead of the game in the top of the eighth inning. Heiker Meneses singled with one out and scored in front of Hazelbaker and it was 4-3 Portland.

D’Arnaud got that one back in the bottom of the eighth and set the stage for Tolisano.

New Hampshire jumped on top 3-0 when its first three runners scored off Portland starter Tim Fife, who was looking a league-leading 11th win.

The Fisher Cats got little else off Fife, who gave up the three runs and nine hits while striking out seven and walking one in a season-high seven innings.

“He left some pitches up in the first inning, but then he was able to settle in to go seven and he was very efficient,” said Portland Manager Kevin Boles. “He pitched down in the zone. We’re real happy with his outing tonight.”

The Sea Dogs picked up single runs in the third and fourth to cut the lead to 3-2.

Mitch Dening, who made a nice diving catch with runners on first and second to end the second inning, led off the third with a triple to right center. He scored on a Vladimir Frias single to center.

The Sea Dogs got an unearned run in the fourth. Reynaldo Rodriguez singled. He stole second and on the play New Hampshire catcher d’Arnaud’s throw skipped into center field, allowing Rodriguez to go to third. He scored on Federowicz’s ground out to third.

NOTE: Federowicz picked off Craig Stansberry in the fourth inning and then got Jonathan Diaz to end the seventh with the dangerous Mike McDade up with two outs and runners on first and third.

 

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