Nick Kokoska Blasts Two Homers and Yard Goats Score 10 Runs on 15 Hits in Victory

Nick Kokoska Blasts Two Homers and Yard Goats Score 10 Runs on 15 Hits in Victory

Final: Hartford 10, Somerset 8

WP: Jarred Cande (2-0)

LP: Blane Abeyta

S: none

T: 2:45

Somerset, NJ- Nick Kokoska blasted a pair of two-run homers as the Hartford Yard Goats scored ten runs on 15 hits en-route to a 10-8 victory against the Somerset Patriots on Saturday night at TD Bank Ballpark in Somerset, New Jersey. The Yard Goats scored all ten runs with two outs. Zach Kokoska homered in the second and eighth innings, and Ryan Ritter cranked his first home run of the season as the Yard Goats won for the fifth time in seven games. Kokoska had three hits and 4 RBI, and Ritter went 3-4 with 3 RBI for the first place Yard Goats. Yard Goats starter Jarrod Cande pitched five innings and had seven strikeouts to record his second consecutive win. Hartford is 3-2 on the road trip and can win its second straight series with a victory on Sunday afternoon. The Yard Goats return home to Dunkin’ Park on Tuesday to host the Red Sox affiliate, the Portland Sea Dogs.

The Patriots took an early lead as Elijah Dunham hit a three-run home run in the first inning off Yard Goats starter Jared Cande. Cande then struck out the next three batters.

The Yard Goats responded with a two-out rally in the second inning off Somerset starter Blane Abeyta. Ryan Ritter started the uprising with a double followed by Zach Kokoska’s two-run homer to right field, making it a 3-2 game. Nic Kent and Bladimir Restituyo followed with singles and then Sterlin Thomson cracked a single to left field, scoring Kent and tying the game at 3-3.

Hartford had its second two-out rally in the third inning and Braxton Fulford extended the inning with a single and Ryan Ritter belted a two-run home run over the left field wall to give the Yard Goats a 5-3 lead. Somerset answered with a solo homer by Ben Rice to make it a 5-3 game. Eight of the first nine runs came on home runs.

Neither team scored in the fourth through seventh innings. The Yard Goats added on in the eighth inning as Kokoska socked his second homer of the game, a two-run shot off reliever Luis Velazquez to make it 7-4 Yard Goats. After the Yankees affiliate scored in the eighth inning, Hartford put up three more runs in the ninth on RBI singles by Warming Bernabel, Braxton Fulford and Ryan Ritter. The Patriots would not go down easy in their final at-bat and scored three runs to make it 10-8. However, reliever Angel Chivilli struck out Grant Richardson to end the game with two runners on base.

The Yard Goats wrap up the series against the Somerset Patriots on Sunday afternoon at 1:05 PM. RHP Andrew Quezada will start for the Yard Goats and LHP Brock Selvidge will pitch for the Patriots. The broadcast can be heard on the free audacy app and Yard Goats website starting at 12:50 PM with the pregame show. The video stream will be available on MLB.TVand MiLB.TV and the Ballys Live App.