BRIDGEWATER, N.J. – The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (21-27, 50-76) and Somerset Patriots (31-28, 66-62) had their Thursday contest called before the end of the fifth inning with the Patriots in front, 4-1.

Thursday night’s game got started around 8:45 p.m., roughly two hours after their scheduled start time of 6:35 at TD Bank Ballpark. Intermittent rain prevented the two from resuming their second delay, which began around 10 PM. After multiple delays, the game was finally called and made official around 10:35 p.m. for a Somerset victory.

New Hampshire starter Rafael Sánchez (L, 2-8) battled through three innings pitched, allowing four runs, three earned, on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Right-hander Pat Gallagher worked around a lead-off double in the bottom of the fourth inning and finished with two strikeouts in one scoreless inning of relief.

Somerset utilized one arm on Thursday night as Ben Hess (W, 3-1) surrendered one run on four hits in five frames of work. Hess collected seven strikeouts to one walk to secure his third Double-A win.

New Hampshire’s lone run came across in the top of the fifth inning after second baseman Ryan McCarty led off with his second double of the game. Right fielder Gabriel Martinez then singled to put runners on first and third with no outs in the frame. Fisher Cats catcher Robert Brooks followed with a sacrifice fly to center field to plate McCarty from third and cut the deficit to 4-1.

Fisher Cats second baseman Eddinson Paulino looped a two-out single in the top of the fifth before center fielder Jace Bohrofen grounded out as the game’s final out.

Somerset scored a run in three of four innings, capped off with a two-run bottom of the third inning. Patriots’ shortstop George Lombard Jr. Opened the frame with his eighth homer of the year to make it 3-0. Third baseman Dylan Jasso knocked a two-out single before right fielder Garrett Martin tripled to extend Somerset’s lead to 4-0.

The series continues with another 6:35 PM EDT first pitch on Friday night. Somerset sends the Yankees’ top pitching prospect (MLB Pipeline) in Carlos Lagrange (5-6, 4.74 ERA) to the hill for his third start against the Fisher Cats this season. New Hampshire’s starter for Friday night is to be determined.