Somerset Battles Back to Defeat Yard Goats on Road

Somerset Battles Back to Defeat Yard Goats on Road

Bridgwater, NJ- The Somerset Patriots used a four-run sixth inning and a six-run eighth inning to beat the Yard Goats 11-6 on Saturday night at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, New Jersey. Hartford had a 5-1 lead in the sixth inning, and a 6-5 lead in the eighth and suffered its third straight loss. Core Jackson hit a grand slam home run for Somerset, which missed the playoffs for only the second time since 2001. Zach Kokoska had a two-run double and Jack O’Dowd had a pair of hits for the Yard Goats who will play the final game of the regular season tomorrow afternoon at 1:05. The Yard Goats start the best-of-three Eastern League Northeast Divisional Series on Tuesday in Reading, PA and will host Game Two on Thursday at Dunkin’ Park (6:30 PM).

The Yard Goats scored two runs in the first inning against Somerset starter Cade Smith on Zach Kokoska’s two-double. Hartford made it 4-0 with two more runs in the second inning. Jared Thomas had an RBI single and Jacob Humphrey brought home GJ Hill on an infield grounder.

Hartford took a 5-0 lead with a run in the third inning against Smith. Roynier Hernandez led off the inning with a double and scored on Jack O’Dowd’s single to right field.

Yard Goats starter Stu Flesland III, who posted the best ERA over his first 11 starts in team history, was solid through the first five innings. The left-hander retired the first five batters and 12 of the first 15 men in four innings. Somerset got a run in the fifth on Connor McGinnis’ RBI single, making it a 5-1 game.

The Patriots got to Flesland III in the sixth inning, and scored five runs to tie the game at 5-5. The inning began with back-to-back singles. An infield grounder and sacrifice fly made it a 5-3 game and then Connor McGinnis cracked a two-run single to tie the game at 5-5 and end the night for Hartford’s starter.

The Yard Goats took a 6-5 lead with a run in the eighth inning against the Patriots bullpen. Hernandez started the inning with a walk and later scored on a safety squeeze bunt by GJ Hill, putting Hartford ahead.

However, Somerset scored six runs in the bottom of the inning to take an 11-6 lead against reliever Fidel Ulloa. Connor McGinnis’ RBI single tied the game, Jace Avina walked with the bases loaded to give Somerset a 7-6 lead, and Core Jackson cranked a grand slam home run.

The Yard Goats conclude the regular season on Sunday afternoon (1:05 PM) with the finale against the Somerset Patriots. Cade Denton will start for the Yard Goats. The game will be broadcast on the free Audacy App, iHeartRadio app, Yard Goats website and streamed on MiLB.TV. The Yard Goats begin the playoffs on Tuesday in Reading, PA and will host Game Two of the ELDS next Thursday, September 17^th (6:30 PM) at Dunkin’ Park.