The Result
Fisher Cats - 3 to 2

Sea Dogs - Year-to-Date
24 wins - 29 losses

Brett's Position and the Batting Order
Playing rightfield
Batting #3

At the end of the Game
1 hit from 4 at-bats - home run, 1 x RBI, 1 x run scored

Brett's at-bats
First at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Bases empty - two down
Called strike - fast ball
Called strike - on the outside corner
Ball - away
Ball - down and away
Ball - 'downstairs'
"And that is belted into right-centrefield"
HOME RUN
......and 1 x RBI (click here for all the home run details ... includes a video!!)
And here is what the commentators said
"...that's up, long --- and forget about it --- it's gone"
"A towering shot over the rightfield"
"A majestic blast for his tenth home run of the season"
"That hit the "FORD" sign on top of the video board --- and that is above three levels of signage"
"The "FORD" sign must be fifty-five feet off the ground --- and that blast would have travelled about 420 feet"
"That would be the longest home run I have seen hit to right-centrefield at Hadlock Field" (said by Steve Pratt)
Second at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Bases empty - one down
Called strike - change-up
Ball - change-up - outside
"A broken-bat liner straight at the Fisher Cats shortstop who plays it on one hop"
Out 6-to-3
Third at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Runners at first and second base - two down
Drove the first pitch into right-centrefield but the fielder got across to make the catch - "Roneberg appeared to lunge at that ball and though he didn't get everything on it, it still travelled about 375 feet"
Out F8
Fourth at-bat
Righthanded pitcher
Runner at first base - two down
Hit the first pitch straight to the Fisher Cats shortstop who made the out at second base
Out via fielder's choice 6-to-4

Heard during the game
(1) As Brett came in for his first at-bat, the commentator said that "Brett is just two for his last fifteen for an average of 0.133"
(......then he belted the home run!!!)

(2) With two down in the top of the fifth innings, a Fisher Cats batter hit a fly ball down the rightfield line - Brett chased it down and in the commentators words "made a fine running and lunging catch to retire the side"

Email from Brett
Just a quick one to say 'hi' and that I am glad Mum got to hear it.
It was pretty big and I was even impressed with myself!!!!!!!!
10 for the year now - hopefully more coming!!
Bye.

Game Reports
FISHER CATS SHOCK SEA DOGS, 3-2
Valencia's 2-Out, 2-Run 2-Strike Home Run in 9th Gives New Hampshire Win

Vic Valencia - mired in a 3-for-35 slump with no extra-base hits - hit a two-out, two-strike two-run home run in the ninth inning off Bo Donaldson, lifting the New Hampshire Fisher Cats to a stunning 3-2 win over the Portland Sea Dogs Friday night before 5,971 fans at Hadlock Field.

Closer Joe Nelson was called upon in the ninth inning for his league leading 12th save.
But the right-hander left with one out in the ninth inning after suffering a slight hamstring pull.

Jason Howell gave up a bloop hit, setting up Valencia's home run off Donaldson.

Jerome Gamble allowed only a run in 6-2/3 innings.
Gamble has allowed only three runs in his last 30 innings pitched.
The win would have been Gamble's fourth in as many starts - he would have become the first Portland pitcher to win four straight starts since Kevin Olsen in 2001.

Brett Roneberg homered off the top of the "Ford Board" in the first inning and Eric Johnson's RBI triple in the second inning gave the Sea Dogs a 2-1 lead.

In the bottom of the ninth, Jesus Medrano hit a two-out double off closer Adam Peterson and advanced to third base on a balk.
But Peterson fanned Mike Campo to end the game for his 11th save.

Eastern League Game Summary - New Hampshire at Portland

Victor Valencia cracked a two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning as the New Hampshire Fisher Cats nipped the Portland Sea Dogs, 3-2 in an Eastern League Northern Division game Friday night.

Trailing 2-1 with two down and one on in the ninth inning, Valencia, who was batting .125 for the season, roped a homer to center field to power the Fisher Cats.

Brandon League earned the win working 2-1/3rd scoreless innings, while Adam Peterson secured his 11th save of the season with a scoreless ninth.

With the victory, New Hampshire improved to 28-25 for the season while Portland slipped to 24-29.

Bo Donaldson (1-2) took the loss, allowing one run on one hit in 2/3rd of an inning on the hill.

After New Hampshire took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, Portland plated a run in the first inning on Brett Roneberg's solo home run and added another in the second when Eric Johnson smoked an RBI triple to the gap in left-center field.

Portland and New Hampshire are scheduled to play again Saturday.

Fisher Cats rally to win in 9th

Vic Valencia knocked a two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning as the New Hampshire Fisher Cats rallied past the Portland Sea Dogs 3-2 last night in the Eastern League.

Brett Roneberg homered and Eric Johnson belted an RBI triple for Portland.

The Fisher Cats (28-25) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
Leadoff batter Anton French doubled to left, advanced to third on a groundout and scampered home on Aaron Hill’s sacrifice fly.

The Sea Dogs (24-29) tied it in the bottom of the first when Roneberg blasted a 3-2 fastball over the right-field fences.

Portland plated the go-ahead run in the second after Mike O’Keefe was hit by a pitch and Johnson tripled to center field.

After six scoreless innings, Valencia lofted a long fly ball off a 3-2 slider by losing pitcher Bo Donaldson.
His shot barely cleared the eight-foot wall in left center field.

Sea Dogs let one slip away

Joe Nelson did not want to leave.

Starter Jerome Gamble and reliever Juan Perez pitched beautifully, and Nelson stood on the mound in the ninth, looking for his Eastern League-leading 12th save.
Nelson looked nasty, striking out Maikel Jova.
But Nelson also looked uncomfortable.
Nelson had to exit with a "tweaked" hamstring muscle, and the remaining relievers could not hold on.

Vic Valencia hit a two-out, two-run homer in the ninth to lead the New Hampshire Fisher Cats over the Portland Sea Dogs 3-2 Friday night, before 5,971 at Hadlock Field.

"It stinks," Nelson said. "Jerome pitched a great game."

Indeed, Gamble looked to pick up his fourth straight victory, allowing one run, six hits and no walks over 6-2/3 innings.

New Hampshire's pitching committee of Ryan Houston, Brandon League (1-2) and Adam Peterson were equally as efficient, limiting the Sea Dogs to five hits.
But two of the hits were biggies - Brett Roneberg's home run in the first and Eric Johnson's RBI triple in the second.

Gamble retired the last nine batters he faced.

Perez retired the four batters he faced, and on came Nelson, who has not allowed an earned run in his last 15 innings.
After the first batter reached on a catcher's interference call, against Edgar Martinez, Nelson struck out Jova.

Portland Manager Ron Johnson was feeling good until he saw Nelson.
"He was stretching. He never stretches out there," said Johnson, who ran out to the mound with trainer Lee Slagle.
"He felt a little tweak in the hamstring. He wanted to stay in the game.
But we're not going to take a chance on turning a tweak into a pull."

Left-handed reliever Jason Howell allowed a bloop single, and Johnson called on right-hander Bo Donaldson (1-2) to face Valencia.

Portland got a break when pinch-runner Tyrell Godwin tried to steal third and Martinez threw him out.

With two outs, the Hadlock crowd got loud, applauding and stomping their feet.

"That's a major base-running mistake and we get the second out," Johnson said.
"And we get the matchup we wanted. But you have to tip your hat to Mr. Valencia."

But, on a full count, Valencia was thinking slider, and Donaldson hung one.
Valencia clocked it to deep center.
Eric Johnson leaped at the wall, but the ball sailed inches over it for the two-run homer.

"I know (Donaldson) from winter ball in Venezuela," Valencia said.
"I was looking for that pitch all the way."

In the bottom of the ninth, Jesus Medrano doubled with two outs and reached third on a balk.
But Peterson struck out Mike Campo to end the game.

The loss kept the last-place Sea Dogs (24-29) from gaining on the second-place Fisher Cats (28-25) in the EL Northern Division.

It was also the Fisher Cats' first win over Portland, which had swept a four-game series last weekend in Manchester.

Gamble allowed one run in the first when Anton French doubled, went to third on a groundout and scored on a sacrifice fly.
It was only the third earned run in Gamble's last 30 innings.

Roneberg tied the game in the bottom of the first, with one of the longest home runs of the season.
The left-handed Roneberg rocketed the ball over the Ford sign above the video board, 47-feet high.

Eric Johnson made it 2-1 in the second with his RBI triple to deep center.
Johnson stroked a full-count hanging breaking ball.

But Portland managed only three hits after that.

Valencia Two-Out HR in 9th Inning Gives Fisher Cats 3-2 Victory

Catcher Vic Valencia's two-out, two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning propelled the New Hampshire Fisher Cats to a 3-2 victory over the Portland Sea Dogs at Hadlock Field on Friday night.

The home run was Valencia's first as a member of the Fisher Cats, and it gave New Hampshire its first win in 22 tries when trailing entering the 9th inning.

Valencia's dramatic long ball came on a 3-2 pitch from losing pitcher Bo Donaldson (1-2), snapping the catcher's 3-for-35 slump.
Matt Logan scored from first base, where he had reached on a flair single to left with one out.

Tyrell Godwin, who had come on as a pinch runner for John-Ford Griffin, was thrown out attempting to steal third base one pitch prior to the home run.
Griffin reached on a catcher's interference to lead off the 9th.

Reliever Brandon League (1-2) earned his first win with two and a third scoreless innings of relief.

Adam Peterson allowed a two-out double to Jesus Medrano in the bottom of the ninth and balked Medrano to third before striking out Mike Campo to notch his eleventh save, tied for the Eastern League lead.

New Hampshire starter Ryan Houston only issued four hits in his five and two-thirds innings on the mound, but two of the hits went for extra bases.
Portland right fielder Brett Roneberg hammered a 3-2 pitch over the wall in right for a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning to tie the game at 1-1.

The Sea Dogs grabbed the lead for good in the second inning when, on another full count, center fielder Eric Johnson connected for a two-out, RBI triple off the wall in left-center that scored Mike O'Keefe all the way from first base.
O'Keefe had reached on a hit-by-pitch.

The Fisher Cats took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when left fielder Anton French, making his New Hampshire debut, doubled off the Maine Monster, the left field wall that is an exact replica of Fenway Park's Green Monster.
After second baseman Dominic Rich advanced French with a ground out, shortstop Aaron Hill drove him in with a lined sacrifice fly to center, his team-leading 27th RBI of the year.

For the second time in a week, Portland righthander Jerome Gamble (5-2) held the Fishers to only a first-inning run.
Gamble allowed six hits and no walks while striking out four over six and two-thirds innings.

New Hampshire looks to make it two in a row Saturday night at 6pm when lefthander Gustavo Chacin (4-1, 3.15) matches up with Portland southpaw Abe Alvarez (4-4, 3.90).