Yard Goats Split a Doubleheader in Portland

Game 1: Final: Hartford 2, Portland 1 (9)

WP: Gavin Hollowell (4-2)

LP: Brett Kennedy (3-6)

S; Stephen Jones (5)

T: 2.32

A:7,368

Game 2: Final: Portland 2, Hartford 1 (7)

WP: Jacob Wallace (5-2)

LP: Noah Gotsis (4-6)

T: 1:42

Portland, ME- Hunter Stovall cracked an RBI single in the ninth inning to break a 1-1 tie, and gave the Hartford Yard Goats a 2-1 victory in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday night at Hadlock Field in Portland, Maine. Five Yard Goats pitchers held Portland to one run in the victory. In game two, Christian Koss smashed a solo home run in the sixth inning to lift Portland to a 2-1 win. Noah Gotsis pitched six solid innings and had a season high nine strikeouts.

In the opening game, five Yard Goats pitchers combined for a three-hitter, allowing only one Portland Sea Dog to score. Goats hurlers collectively struck out seven batters en route to the win. Gavin Hallowell (4-2) earned the win after throwing twenty-two pitches in relief. Powerful righty Stephen Jones (S, 5) earned the save after striking out two in the bottom of the ninth. Will Ethridge started the contest and pitched three solid innings, striking out one, and giving up the only Sea Dog run of the game, a solo home run by Niko Kavadas in the bottom of the first inning.

Right-hander Toney Locey threw two scoreless innings in relief, and Austin Kitchen followed with a scoreless sixth inning to help the Goats’ cause.
Isaac Collins started the Yard Goats offense by knocking a double off the Maine
Monster in left field. Just a couple of batters later, Aaron Schunk knocked his
teammate home with a ground out RBI.

That would be all the scoring the Yard Goats would do until Willie MacIver scored the winning run from third on a Hunter Stovall RBI single. In between those two runs, the Goats left twelve runners on base.

The Goats’ defense rose to the occasion however, with terrific defensive plays
throughout the contest. All three outfielders made outstanding plays up against
their respective outfield walls, and right fielder Brenton Doyle connected with Willie MacIver on a laser just to the third base side of home plate, throwing out Wilyer Abreu, on what would have been the go ahead run in the eighth inning.
The Yard Goats advanced their record to 68-49, while the Sea Dogs fell to 58-60
overall in Eastern League play.

In game two, the Sea Dogs had a 1-0 lead until Daniel Cope tied the game with an RBI single in the fifth inning. However, Portland broke the 1-1 tie as Christian Koss cranked a solo home run over the centerfield fence,giving the Sea Dogs a 2-1 lead.

The Yard Goats and Sea Dogs conclude the series on Sunday afternoon at 1:00. Noah Davis will start for Hartford and Brian Van Belle will start for Portland. The broadcast can be heard on AM 1410, FM 100.9 and the iheart radio app. The Yard Goats return home on Tuesday to host Reading.