MANCHESTER – Jordan Groshans ripped two doubles and Maximo Castillo logged his first quality start of the year as the New Hampshire Fisher Cats beat the Reading Fightin Phils’ 3-1 at Delta Dental Stadium on Sunday to earn a series split.

Groshans finished the day 2-for-4 with a pair of two-baggers and an RBI. Castillo (W, 7-2) tossed six innings, allowing three hits and one run while striking out four and walking two.

The Fisher Cats (31-37) jumped ahead early against Fightin’ Phils starter Francisco Morales (L, 2-8) and never looked back.

Austin Martin led off the first inning with a walk, and two batters later, Otto Lopez singled to put runners at the corners with nobody out. LJ Talley followed with an RBI infield single to put New Hampshire ahead 1-0.

Groshans, who entered the day with a .973 OPS in the month of July, then ripped an RBI double to left to make it a 2-0 Fisher Cats lead. Samad Taylor capped the inning with an RBI single against Morales (five innings, six hits, three runs, one walk, four strikeouts) to up the edge to 3-0. Taylor has now reached base in 34 consecutive games.

While Reading (29-43) scored one run in the third on an RBI single by Logan Landon, Castillo cruised the rest of the way.

Sean Rackoski (1.1 innings, one hits, one strikeout, Brody Rodning (two-thirds of an inning, one walk, one strikeout) and Jon Harris combined to shut the door, with Harris picking up his second save of the year with a perfect ninth.

Following the off day on Monday, New Hampshire will begin a six-game series at Portland (Red Sox) on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Fans can catch all of the action on the WGIR Fisher Cats Radio Network.

The Fisher Cats return home on August 3 for a six-game homestand against the Hartford Yard Goats.

Silver Knights game halted

The Nashua Silver Knights and Pittsfield Sun played two innings Sunday evening before the game at Waconah Park was suspended by rain.

It has not yet been assigned a make-up date.

The Silver Knights return to action Tuesday at Vermont.

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