Yard Goats 'Cope' with fourth straight win

Final: Hartford Yard Goats 5, Bowie Baysox 4

WP: P.J. Poulin (1-1)

LP: Noah Denoyer (0-1)

S- Stephen Jones (2)

T- 2:31

A- 1,183

Daniel Cope's lead off ninth inning home run over the second row of billboards in left lifted the Hartford Yard Goats to a 5-4 win over the Bowie Baysox Thursday night, Hartford's fourth straight victory. P.J. Poulin escaped a bases-loaded situation in the eighth inning for Hartford to earn the victory. It was the former UConn southpaw's first win of the season (1-1). Reliever Stephen Jones pitched a perfect ninth to notch his second save. Ezequiel Tover added three hits to pace the Hartford 10-hit attack, while Brenton Doyle belted a two-run homer and Jack Blomgren a two-run single.

The second place Yard Goats pulled to within 1 1/2 games of first place Somerset in the Eastern League's Northeast Division and moved a season-high eight games over .500 (22-14). Hartford has won the first three games of the six-game series at Bowie and has captured eight of its last 10 games.

Hartford jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Blomgren's two-run, bloop-single to center. Bowie batted around in the first against Yard Goats starter Noah Gotsis, scoring three runs. However, with two outs in the fourth, Cope reached on a single through the middle off of starter Connor Loeprich, setting the stage for Doyle's home run over the right center field wall, giving the Rockies' affiliate a 4-3 lead. Meanwhile, the Yard Goats bullpen was stellar, as Fineas Delbonta-Smith fired three perfect innings. The Baysox tied the game 4-4 in the seventh, when Hudson Haskin reached on a two-out error by Aaron Shunk, moved to second on a walk surrendered by Jared Biddy and scored on a double to left by Jordan Westburg. The seventh inning Bowie comeback then set the stage for Cope's ninth inning dramatics.

The Yard Goats continue their six-game series with the Orioles affiliate, the Bowie Baysox, on Friday night at 7:05. RHP Michael Baird will start for the Yard Goats and RHP Griffin McLarty will start for the Baysox. The game will be broadcast on Newsradio 1410 WPOP. The Yard Goats return to Dunkin' Donuts Park on Tuesday, May 31st at 7:05 to host the Phillies affiliate, the Reading Fightin Phils.