Fisher Cats' bats shut down

NORWICH, Conn. – Brett Cecil tossed five scoreless innings to extend his shutout innings string to 10 consecutive frames, and Orlando Roman pitched two perfect innings in his New Hampshire Fisher Cats' debut, but Carlos Sosa's sixth-inning RBI double lifted the Connecticut Defenders to a 1-0 win before 2,027 fans at Dodd Stadium last night.

Connecticut (38-43) broke up a scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth inning against reliever Jean Machi (0-2). With two outs, Ryan Rohlinger (2-for-3, run, sacrifice) singled and scored when Sosa (1-for-4, double, RBI, stolen base) doubled off the center-field wall.

Nate Bump (3-3) earned his third straight victory by pitching 6 1/3 scoreless innings. The right-hander held New Hampshire (32-49) to three hits, struck out three and walked one.

Justin Hedrick pitched 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, and Osiris Matos recorded a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his eighth save in nine opportunities.

Cecil worked five shutout innings, scattering five singles. The left-hander struck out five and walked one, extending his stretch of consecutive scoreless innings to 10.

Fisher Cats pitcher Brett Cecil, shown in action in Manchester last month, threw five scoreless innings last night. (MARK BOLTON)

Roman pitched two perfect innings of relief with three strikeouts.

New Hampshire's best threat came in the top of the fifth inning against Bump. J.P. Arencibia (1-for-4) and Jacob Butler (1-for-2, HBP) led off with back-to-back singles. After Brian Jeroloman (0-for-2, sacrifice) sacrificed the runners over, Eric Nielsen (1-for-2, HBP) hit a line drive right at Rohlinger at third base. Rohlinger made the catch and doubled Arencibia off third base to end the inning, one of three double plays turned by Connecticut's defense in the game.

The Fisher Cats and the Defenders play a doubleheader today at 5:05 p.m. at Dodd Stadium. Right-hander Brandon Magee (1-10, 6.04) is slated to start the first seven-inning game for New Hampshire against Connecticut right-hander Garrett Broshuis (6-6, 3.67). In game two, righty Kenny Rodriguez (0-0, 0.00) will make his Eastern League debut for the Fisher Cats against Defenders right-hander Brooks McNiven (1-1, 1.89).

Fishers pitcher honored

Robert Ray, a right-handed starting pitcher for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, is the Bank of America Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week ending June 29. The 6-foot-4, 185-pound hurler made a pair of starts for the Fisher Cats last week and went 1-1 with 16 strikeouts and a 0.59 ERA in 151„3 innings.

In his first start of the week last Tuesday at New Britain, the 24-year old struck out 10 batters and did not allow a walk while throwing a five-hit, complete game shutout.

Ray lost in his second start of the week despite only giving up one run on eight hits while striking out 10 batters and walking two in 6.1 innings of work against New Britain at Merchantsauto.com Stadium in the first game of a doubleheader Sunday afternoon.

Ray, who has tied the Fisher Cats franchise record of complete games in a season with two, was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the seventh round of the 2005 draft out of Texas A&M University.

Ray was called up to the Fisher Cats on June 10 and has gone 3-1 and allowed just three runs in 29.1 innings (0.92 ERA) while striking out 20 in his four Fisher Cats starts.