AKRON, Ohio – Despite once holding a 5-0 lead, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (21-28, 50-68) survived an 11-inning thriller at Canal Park on Saturday night with a 6-5 victory over the Akron RubberDucks (26-24, 69-49).

New Hampshire designated hitter Charles McAdoo knocked his team-leading 16th home run of the season, a three-run homer to highlight a four-run top of the sixth inning. Akron boomed for four runs in the bottom of the sixth and forced extras on a game-tying home run with two strikes and two outs in the bottom of the eighth, but it was New Hampshire to prevail as relievers Nate Garkow and Yondrei Rojas combined to strand four runners on base in the 10th and 11th innings for the Fisher Cats’ third win of the week.

Fisher Cats starter Rafael Sánchez pitched into the bottom of the sixth inning with no runs on one hit, but in the bottom of the frame, Akron tagged him for four earned runs on three more hits to draw New Hampshire’s lead to 5-4. Sánchez finished with four runs allowed on four hits with two walks and five strikeouts and was relieved by lefty Johan Simon. Simon surrendered one run on four hits while striking out four in 2-2/3 innings of relief.

Garkow was tasked with the bottom of the ninth and 10th innings and picked up four clutch punchouts to keep the Ducks off the scoreboard. After a flyout to advance the winning run to third, Garkow intentionally walked Alfonsin Rosario to put runners at the corners, and pinch-runner Jonah Advincula advanced to second on defensive indifference. Garkow intentionally walked RubberDucks outfielder Joe Lampe to load the bases before dealing back-to-back swinging strikeouts and advance to the 11th.

Akron starter Rorik Maltrud surrendered one run on two hits with seven punchouts in four innings of work. Reliever Magnus Ellerts gave up four runs in 1-2/3 innings pitched before Matt Jachec took over with two outs in the top of the sixth inning. After Jachec worked 2-1/3 scoreless innings, reliever Zane Morehouse kept the lid on the Cats with two strikeouts in a pair of scoreless innings. Reliever Jack Jasiak (L, 1-1) allowed the inherited runner to score on Eddinson Paulino’s sacrifice fly in the top of the 11th to give New Hampshire the 6-5 lead.

New Hampshire opened the scoring on Ward’s 387-foot solo blast in the top of the second inning to give the Cats a 1-0 lead. With the score still 1-0 in the top of the sixth inning, McAdoo crushed a three-run shot that moved New Hampshire’s advantage to 4-0. After two more runners reached with two outs, shortstop Cade Doughty pulled a double to left field that made it a 5-0 game.

The RubberDucks then scored five unanswered runs with four in the bottom of the sixth inning and an additional run in the eighth. Shortstop Angel Genao and Lampe drove in a run on singles that cut the deficit to 5-2. Catcher Jacob Cozart then cashed in a run on a groundout and Akron plated its fourth run on a wild pitch to make it 5-4. With two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the eighth inning, Cozart tucked a game-tying homer with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, his first in Double-A to knot the score at 5-5.

New Hampshire’s Saturday night win was their sixth of the season and their third game to reach the 11 inning. The Fisher Cats are 6-6 in extra-inning contests this season and have won two within the last week, going back to a 10-inning win in Binghamton on Sunday, August 17.

New Hampshire concludes their back-to-back road trip with a 1:05 PM EDT first pitch at Canal Park against Akron. Fisher Cats RHP Geison Urbaez (1-2, 3.05 ERA) gets the starting nod against Akron RHP and forrmer 2025 Fisher Cats righty Khal Stephen (0-0, 9.00 ERA). Stephen was selected by Toronto with the 59 overall pick out of Mississippi State in 2024 and climbed three levels of the Minors and made one Double-A start with New Hamphire before he was traded to Cleveland in exchange for 2020 American League Cy Young winner, Shane Bieber. Sunday against New Hampshire is scheduled to be Stephen’s first start since he threw four innings for the Fisher Cats against Binghamton on July 20.