Schunk & Cope Homers Power Yard Goats to Win

Final: Hartford 5, Portland 3

WP: Will Gaddis (4-0)

LP: Bryan Mata (1-2)

SV: Gavin Hollowell (12)

T- 2:25

A- 6,891

Hartford, Conn - Aaron Schunk blasted a go-ahead homer in the sixth, and Daniel Cope cracked a solo shot as the Hartford Yard Goats beat the Portland Sea Dogs 5-3 in front of the ninth straight sellout crowd Sunday afternoon at Dunkin' Donuts Park. The victory pulled the Yard Goats to within a half game of first place in the division. Daniel Montano tallied two hits, including his ninth longball of the season. The Yard Goats finished the homestand on a two-game win streak to split the six-game series with the Sea Dogs.

Portland jumped in front in the second inning on a two-run homer by Nick Northcut off Hartford's Noah Gotsis to put the Sea Dogs in front 2-0. The Yard Goats got on the board in the third on a solo blast by Montano, cutting Portland's lead in half, 2-1.

Yard Goats catcher Daniel Cope tied the game on a solo homer to the right field seats off Sea Dogs starter Bryan Mata in the bottom of the fifth. Cope's seventh longball of the season came in front of his family, who made the trip from San Diego, California, to DDP. In the sixth, Aaron Schunk cracked a solo homer to put the Yard Goats in front 3-2. It was Schunk's second straight day with a go-ahead, round-tripper, and his 11th of the season.

Dugan Darnell and Will Gaddis combined for three scoreless innings for Hartford going to the bottom of the seventh. The Yard Goats added to their lead on Montano's RBI single, putting them up 4-2. After Portland scored a run in the top of the eighth, Cope's RBI single in the bottom of the frame plated Hartford's fifth run. Gavin Hollowell shut down the Red Sox affiliate, striking out the final four batters to secure the win for the Yard Goats.

The Yard Goats head to Reading to play a six-game series with the Phillies affiliate, the Reading Fightin Phils, starting Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. The game will be broadcast on Newsradio 1410 WPOP. The Yard Goats return to Dunkin' Donuts Park on Tuesday, August 16 at 7:05 against the Blue Jays affiliate, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.