Sterlin Thompson’s Two-Homer Night Powers the Yard Goats to a 8-6 Victory

Final: Hartford 8, New Hampshire 6

WP- Austin Kitchen (5-2)

LP- Trevor Clifton (0-1)

S- Stephen Jones (5)

T- 2:38

Hartford, CT- Sterlin Thompson crushed two home runs in front of the 40^th sellout at Dunkin’ Park this season, as the Yard Goats defeated the New Hampshire Fisher Cats 8-6 on Friday night in downtown Hartford. Thompson smashed a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning, giving Hartford the lead. Yanquiel Fernandez continued to swing the bat well, notching three hits and an RBI. Bladimir Restituyo also homered for the 11^th time this season.

Hartford got out to a quick lead, as they pushed across a run in the first inning. Trying to muster up some momentum after the first two batters of the inning were retired, the Yard Goats showcased some two-out wizardry. Jordan Beck drew a walk in front of Fernandez, who cranked a ball hard off the tall wall in right center field for an RBI double to drive home Beck and give the Yard Goats a 1-0 lead.

The Fisher Cats attacked in the third inning, exploding for four runs and five hits. Steward Berroa led off the inning with a solo home run to left center field. Then, Alan Roden and Miguel Hiraldo hit back-to-back singles, and two batters later, Rainer Nunez singled up the middle to bring in Roden. Michael Turconi was next up to the plate, and he worked a walk in front of Andres Sosa, who drove in Hiraldo and Nunez on a base hit to the left side. After two-and-a-half innings, the Fisher Cats held onto a 4-1 advantage.

Thanks to Thompson, the Yard Goats immediately responded in the bottom of the third, as he rocketed a solo home run into the visitors’ bullpen in left field to cut New Hampshire’s lead to 4-2.

New Hampshire and Hartford traded solo home runs in the fourth inning. The Fisher Cats got their solo shot with one-out in the inning off the bat of Roden in the top of the frame. Now, with New Hampshire now up 5-2, Bladimir Restituyo connected with a 2-1 off-speed pitch, demolishing it into the left field bleachers for solo blast. Heading into the fifth frame, the Fisher Cats led 5-3.

The Yard Goats retook the lead in the sixth inning. Fernandez and Grant Lavigne led off the inning by smacking back-to-back singles before Julio Carreras, who roped an RBI double off the wall in right field to bring home Fernandez and put runners on second and third with no outs. Two batters later, Bladimir Restituyo stepped up to the dish and delivered an RBI single into center field to plate Lavigne. Keeping the line moving, Jose Cordova drew a walk, and with the bases now loaded, Kyle Datres punched a deep drive into right center field for a sacrifice fly to give the Yard Goats 6-5 after six innings.

Riley Tirotta helped the Fisher Cats claw their way back in the ballgame in the eighth inning, as he connected with a solo home run to tie the game at 6.

However, Thompson had some late-inning heroics in the eighth inning, blasting a two-run shot and hooking it just fair around the foul pole in right field. Prior to the home run, Cordova extended the inning by rolling a single into right field. That setup Thompson, who turned on a high changeup and crushed it 402 feet to right field to give the Yard Goats a 8-6 advantage.

The Yard Goats and New Hampshire Fisher Cats will play the sixth game of a seven-game series on Saturday night (6:10 PM) at Dunkin’ Park. Case Williams will start for Hartford, while Alejandro Melean will start for New Hampshire. Saturday’s games will be broadcast on AM 1410, FM 100.9 and on the iheart radio app.