New Hampshire's Addison Barger stands ready at the plate during Wednesday's matinee in Manchester. (Courtesy photo by Kristin Basnett)

MANCHESTER – The Fisher Cats fell 5-3 to the Erie Seawolves in a back-and-forth game on Wednesday afternoon in front of 5,846 fans — many from several local camps — at Delta Dental Stadium.

New Hampshire (16-19, 47-57) fought back from an early deficit but ultimately fell in their second defeat of the week versus the SeaWolves (Detroit Tigers, 23-11, 62-41)

Fisher Cats starter Adam Kloffenstein and Erie’s Chance Kirby battled for the first six innings. Kloffenstein, a third-round draft pick in 2018, was dominant in his first quality start of the season. The only Erie runs scored against him came via solo home runs in the first and third innings.

Kloffenstein finished with a season-high 6.0 innings of work, allowing two earned runs on six hits. He walked two batters and struck out five, throwing a career-high 98 pitches with 64 strikes. He turned an inning-ending double play in the fourth.

Erie led, 2-0, after four innings, as starter Chance Kirby allowed just one baserunner in that stretch. In the fifth, Ryan Gold’s double put runners on second and third with one out. Sebastian Espino brought home John Aiello with a sacrifice fly, and New Hampshire cut the deficit in half, 2-1.

Espino has a season-long four-game hit streak, as he went 1-for-3 with a run and a RBI. Aiello has now reached base in 15 consecutive games, tied for the third-longest on-base streak by a Fisher Cat this season.

Kirby finished with 6.0 innings on the hill for the SeaWolves, allowing one earned run and three hits. He walked two batters and struck out a season-high 10, his most in a game since July 2018.

New Hampshire pulled in front, 3-2, in the seventh, thanks to an RBI single from Zac Cook and a wild pitch that scored Espino.

Andrew Bash was lights out for his first two innings out of the pen, facing seven total batters across the seventh and eighth. In the ninth, Erie put runners on the corners with two outs, and Daniel Cabrera delivered a clutch RBI single to tie the game.

The SeaWolves scored three with two outs in the inning to take a 5-3 lead, and New Hampshire couldn’t score in the bottom of the ninth. Erie has now won six of eight games against the Fisher Cats this season.

New Hampshire continues its series with the Erie SeaWolves tonight at 7:05.

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