Fightins' Play Tromp Card To Wade Through Praying Mantis

Hartford, CT- On "What If Night," when the Hartford Yard Goats played under one of the finalist names for the club, the Praying Mantis, the Reading Fightin' Phils decided a "Throw Back The Clock Night" was more appropriate, relying on a good-old fashion three-run homer to sink the Praying Mantis, 3-1, on Thursday at Dunkin' Donuts Park. Mid season Eastern League All-Star Jiandido Tromp belted a three-run homer down the left field line in the seventh inning, enabling Reading to snap a five-game losing streak, before the 22nd sellout crowd of the season at Dunkin' Donuts Park of 6,726. Seven of the last 11 Hartford home dates have been sellouts.

Praying Mantis pitcher Konnor Wade turned in his best outing of the season. The right hander retired the first fifteen batters he faced, before yielding a lead off single to Drew Stankiewicz, the son of former major league player Andy Stankiewicz. However, Wade got a double play and fly out to pitch out of the inning and wrap up his night with one hit allowed, no walks and four strike outs.
Hartford took a 1-0 lead in the third, when Omar Carrizales reached on a fielders' choice, moved to second on Wade's sac bunt and scored on single by Ashley Graeter. But in the seventh inning against reliever Will Lamb, Zach Coppola and Carlos Tocci reached on consecutive singles, before Tromp uncorked his 13th home run of the season and Reading's league leading 117th round tripper.
The Praying Mantis managed two hits off of four pitchers, singles by Graeter and Josh Fuentes.
Game two of the four-game series is Friday night at 7:05 p.m.  Righthander Luis Niebla will pitch for the Yard Goats against righthander Drew Anderson for Reading. The came will be broadcast on AM 1410 WPOP and on iHeart Radio.