By: Ken Lipshez
New Britain Herald Press

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Seasoned Eastern League viewers will recognize the
names.

There's catcher Erik Kratz, who's been a thorn in the Rock Cats' side
since 2005. Wayne Lydon was the loop's stolen-base king with Binghamton in
2004 and Chip Cannon is back to defend the EL home-run crown.

EL fans and local fans alike will recall former Berlin High lefthander
Jesse Carlson, and closer Lee Gronkiewicz saved 24 games for the Fishers
in 2005.

Each of the veterans lent the New Hampshire Fisher Cats a hand Saturday in
darkening New Britain's debut, 7-6, before a frostbitten opening-day
gathering at Merchantsauto.com Stadium.

"It's unique that we have a lot of guys who have had success at this
level," said New Hampshire manager Bill Masse, a native of Manchester.
"But they have really great attitudes so far. It's part of my job to get
these guys to compete every day and to their credit, they are."

The Fisher Cats used the long ball and the short right-field porch to
lengthen New Britain faces.

Lydon wrapped a two-run shot around the foul pole off starter Nick
Blackburn to erase the Rock Cats' short-lived 3-0 lead in the third
inning. Kratz jumped on Anthony Swarzak for a two-run shot in the fifth
that produced a 5-3 New Hampshire lead and later added an RBI single.

When the Rock Cats loaded the bases with two down in the sixth, Masse
called on the side-arming Carlson to face left-handed hitting Brandon
Roberts. He threw two quick strikes and got Roberts to tap to short.

"He wasn't throwing too well at the beginning of spring but as the spring
wore on, I got to see a little bit more," Masse said. "He's not afraid. He
throws strikes and he's got that funky delivery. He can get lefthanders
out with that sweeping breaking ball and he's not afraid to pitch in to
righthanders."

New Hampshire added insurance in the sixth when Cannon, who hit a
franchise-record 27 homers and drove in 69 runs a year ago, smacked his
first of the season. It was insurance they would eventually need because
the Rock Cats rallied in the eighth against righthander Tracy Thorpe.

A two-run single by Korey Feiner (3-for-4) drew New Britain within two but
Gronkiewicz came on with the sacks full and one out to retire the next two
hitters on lazy fly balls.

"We swung the bats well overall," Rock Cats manager Riccardo Ingram said.
"I think the eighth inning kind of cost us. We should have come away with
something but all the guys battled."

Garrett Guzman (3-for-5) hit the Rock Cats' first homer of the season, a
solo shot with two out in the ninth, but New Britain came up one short.

"We battled back and I'm sure they were on the top step until the final
out," Ingram said. "That's all you can ask for."

The Rock Cats broke loose for three third-inning runs off Maine native
Mike MacDonald (1-0).

Feiner's one-out dribbler hugged the third-base line for an infield hit.
Roberts dumped a looping opposite-field single to short left to put
runners on first and second.

Trevor Plouffe rifled a 3-2 pitch up the alley in right-center to score
both runners. Plouffe moved to third on an infield error and scored on a
single by Matt Allegra.

After two flawless innings, Blackburn met some resistance in the third.
Manny Mayorson and Aaron Mathews whacked successive doubles and Lydon
homered.

As Ingram scripted, Blackburn was replaced by Swarzak in the fourth.
Before the snows came last week, Swarzak was slated to start the third
game but Ingram elected to use him in relief after two postponements.

Swarzak (0-1) retired the Fishers in order in the fourth inning but
struggled in the fifth. He issued a one-out walk to Mathews and
ninth-hitter Kratz (2-for-3, 3 RBI) went deep to give New Hampshire the
lead.

"The walks set it all up," Ingram said. "You've got to throw strikes and
you've got to pitch ahead. I think he lost a little touch on his fastball.
It started rising high on him and when the fastball rides high, the only
thing you can get down is your slow ball. He threw a couple of breaking
balls to their stronger hitters and they didn't miss."

CATS TALES: Carlson, 26, was 6-5 with a 4.66 ERA in 43 games with Double-A
Frisco last year. He finished the season at Triple-A Oklahoma with 10
straight scoreless outings.

The Fisher Cats have opened the season against the Rock Cats in each of
their four seasons of their existence.

The Rock Cats and Fisher Cats will meet 28 times this season. Another way
of putting it is that in a 12-team league, the Rock Cats will play 20
percent of their games against one team.

The game, originally scheduled for 1 p.m., was pushed back to 3:05 on
Friday and then 4:05 Saturday morning to give staffers time to clear the
field of snow. Six to seven inches fell here Wednesday and Thursday.

The Rock Cats stranded 10 runners.

04/08/2007