The Fisher Cats' Rainer Nunez drove in five runs in New Hampshire's win over Somerset on Sunday in Manchester. (File photo)

MANCHESTER – Three home runs and 13 hits powered the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (20-25) to a 13-1 series-clinching victory on Sunday afternoon over the Somerset Patriots (22-23) at Delta Dental Stadium. Third baseman Alex De Jesus clubbed two home runs, first baseman Rainer Nuñez drove in five runs and starting pitcher Adam Macko (W, 3-2) recorded his first Double-A quality start behind nine strikeouts to tie his season-high.

In the seven-game series, Sunday’s win gave the Fisher Cats their first series victory since they took four of six from Somerset in the 2024 home opening series from April 9 through April 14. A victory of 12 runs stands as the largest margin of victory since May 9, 2023, in which the Fisher Cats beat Reading, 14-2.

The Fisher Cats finished 7-for-14 with runners in scoring position to complement Macko’s six innings. The five middle hitters of New Hampshire’s order factored 12 of the team’s 13 hits; Josh Kasevich (2-for-5), Alan

Roden (3-for-4), Devonte Brown (2-for-4), Nunez (2-for-5) and De Jesus (3-for-5) all had multi-hit games. Roden tripled in the Sunday win, his first of the year, as the duo of Nunez and De Jesus combined for nine of the Fisher Cats 13 runs driven in.

Somerset scored first in Sunday’s contest with a run in the top of the third on an RBI single from Jasson Dominguez. The Fisher Cats answered the 1-0 deficit with five runs in the bottom of the inning off Somerset’s Blane Abeyta (L, 2-5). After catcher Andres Sosa took a pitch off his left shoulder to begin the bottom of the third, three straight hits from Kasevich, Roden and Brown put New Hampshire in front, 2-1. With two outs in the third, De Jesus brought Roden and Brown around with his three-run home run to extend the Fisher Cats advantage to 5-1.

New Hampshire’s other five-run inning occurred in the bottom of the fifth, a campaign that began with Kasevich reaching on a fielding error. Working again on consecutive hits from Roden and Brown, Nunez slugged his three-run homer to move New Hampshire’s lead to 9-1.

After Macko’s departure, relievers Alejandro Melean, Adrian Hernandez and Ryan Boyer didn’t allow a hit and combined for the final three innings behind four strikeouts and no walks.

New Hampshire hits the road and heads east for a two-week road trip against Akron and Erie. The Fisher Cats and RubberDucks begin a six-game series at Canal Park in downtown Akron on Tuesday, May 28 at 6:35 PM EDT, with both starters listed as to be determined.

Following a two-week road trip to Akron (May 28-June 2) and Erie (June 4-June 9), New Hampshire’s next homestand is June 11-16 against the Richmond Flying Squirrels, the San Francisco Giants’ Double-A club.

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