MANCHESTER – The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (12-12, 46-45) dropped both games of a Thursday doubleheader to the Somerset Patriots (10-14, 47-46) at Delta Dental Stadium, 9-3 and 8-3.

Somerset finished 10-for-18 with runners in scoring position in the two games combined to power the Thursday sweep over New Hampshire.

In game one, Somerset lefty Xavier Rivas (W, 5-4) struck out seven batters and allowed one run on one hit to hold New Hampshire’s bats quiet. New Hampshire’s Chris McElvain (L, 3-6) surrendered five runs on seven hits in four innings in the game one loss.

New Hampshire’s game two starter Gage Stanifer (L, 3-7) struck out seven batters in his five innings in game two. Stanifer had two outs in the fourth inning before allowing a two-run homer and finished with four runs on five hits in five innings. In a bullpen game, Somerset’s Harrison Cohen (W, 3-1) struck out three batters and recorded four outs as the first arm out of the Patriots’ pen.

Game One

Somerset struck early in game one. Patriots center fielder DJ Gladney lifted a two-run homer off of New Hampshire’s McElvain to give the visitors an early 2-0 lead.

The Fisher Cats got one back on Arjun Nimmala’s second solo home run in as many days to cut into Somerset’s lead at 2-1 in the bottom of the third. Nimmala launched a 432-foot homer in Wednesday night’s game.

The Patriots pulled away with three runs in the top of the fourth and four in the top of the fifth. Somerset’s Cole Gabrielson and Owen Cobb each drove in a pair of two-out runs, and Gabrielson raced home on a pickoff error by McElvain to move game one’s score to 5-1.

In the top of the fifth, Gladney drove in two more runs with a bloop single to right field to up Somerset’s lead to 7-1. After two more runs with two outs stretched the Patriots’ lead to 9-1, Eddie Micheletti Jr.’s two-run homer finalized the score at 9-3.

Game Two

Like game one, the Patriots plated the game’s first run in the top of the first inning, and again, thanks to the efforts of DJ Gladney. Somerset designated hitter Gladney gave his club a 1-0 lead when he drove a two-out single into the outfield to plate Jace Avina from second base. The Fisher Cats tied the game in the bottom of the second inning after Carter Cunningham recorded his first Double-A triple. Second baseman Cutter Coffey plated Cunningham from third with a line drive to Somerset right fielder Cole Gabrielson and tied the game at 1-1.

The Patriots plated three unanswered runs, all with two outs to extend their lead, in the fourth and fifth innings in game two. In the top of the fourth, a leadoff Josh Moylan double set the stage for a two-out RBI single by Owen Cobb. Moylan raced home to regain the lead at 2-1. Again with two outs, second baseman Connor McGinnis jumped on the first pitch and launched a two-run homer to make the lead 4-1.

The Fisher Cats trimmed the deficit to one in the bottom of the fifth. After a Cade Doughty walk and a Nick Goodwin single against Somerset’s Ben Grable, Eddie Micheletti Jr. singled in Doughty from second to move the score to 4-2. Hedbert Perez singled to load the bases, and a Jorge Burgos RBI groundout inched the Cats to a 4-3 deficit.

Somerset quickly erased any hope with four runs in the top of the sixth inning, including a Coby Morales three-run homer with two outs to finalize the scoring at 8-3.

The series continues on Friday, July 24 with a 6:03 PM first pitch. Fisher Cats righty Austin Cates (1-4, 5.56 ERA) gets the start against Somerset’s Chase Hampton (0-3, 7.29 ERA). The New Hampshire Space Potatoes invade Delta Dental Stadium on Friday, presented by Adopt NH. Join us for Small Business Night presented by Goldman Sachs and Scout Night with postgame Atlas Fireworks. Coverage begins at 5:35 p.m. on the Fisher Cats Radio Network, MiLB.tv, and on the Bally Sports Live app.