NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (AP) – Pat Neshek, Beau Kemp and Brian Wolfe combined for a three-hitter to lead the New Britain Rock Cats to a 2-1 win and doubleheader sweep of the Portland Sea Dogs on Sunday in the Eastern League.

New Britain won the first game 3-1 as J.D. Durbin scattered six hits in his second complete game since coming to Double-A.

The Rock Cats (64-64) are tied with the Trenton Thunder for third place in the Northern

Division, two games behind the second-place Sea Dogs (66-62).

In the nightcap, the Rock Cats scored two in the first inning off starter Eric Glaser (3-3). Josh Renick hit a one-out single and scored on a double by Joe Mauer, who took third on the throw home. Mauer scored on Jeff Deardorff’s sacrifice fly.

Neshek, making the first start in his two-year pro career, allowed just a double by Carlos Leon in the third inning.

Kemp (5-6) came on in the fourth and tossed three hitless frames. Wolfe (3 saves) was touched for a run in the seventh on a double by Sean McGowan and single by Brian Loyd.

Mauer and Terry Tiffee had two hits each for New Britain.

In the first game, Durbin struck out eight and walked three.

Tiffee delivered a two-run double in the first inning off Portland starter Ryan Cameron (2-2). Kevin West capped the inning with an RBI single that gave New Britain the early 3-0 lead.

Raul Nieves had three hits and drove in the lone Sea Dogs run.

Cameron also went the distance, yielding one walk, seven hits and fanning five.

AP-ES-08-17-03 2039EDT