Fisher Cats 9, Phils 0

MANCHESTER – John Tolisano and Ryan Schimpf hit home runs and Austin Bibens-Dirkx worked six shutout innings to lift the New Hampshire Fisher Cats to a 9-0 win over the Reading Fighting Phils in the 2013 season opener before 6,224 on Thursday night at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium.

Bibens-Dirkx (1-0), a 27-year old making his first start in the Toronto Blue Jays organization, allowed three hits, walked two and struck out six. Clint Everts (2.0 IP) and Trystan Magnuson completed the shutout for New Hampshire (1-0).

The Fisher Cats struck for four runs in the bottom of the second inning off losing pitcher David Buchanan (0-1). First baseman Clint Robinson doubled to start the inning and DH Ricardo Nanita was hit by a pitch. In his first Double-A at bat, Nashua native Kevin Nolan (1 for 3, R, RBI) drilled a single off the wall in right field to make it 1-0. Sean Ochinko followed with a sacrifice fly, scoring Nanita, for a 2-0 lead for the Fisher Cats. Tolisano added a two-run homer to right field to make it 4-0.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Brad Glenn singled and moved to second on a wild pitch, scoring on Kenny Wilson’s third hit of the game to make it 5-0. Glenn also doubled home Robinson, who had walked, in the bottom of the fifth.

Wilson (3-for-5, R, RBI) reached on a fielders choice in the bottom of the sixth before Schimpf blasted a long home run to right field off reliever Juan Sosa for an 8-0 lead. Ochinko added a second RBI with a double in the seventh, plating Glenn who had walked, for the game’s final run.

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