Sunday Slugging Leads To Victory For Patriots
The Somerset Patriots defeated the Erie SeaWolves on Sunday afternoon by a final score of 8-5 at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, NJ. It was the final regular season home game of the season at TD Bank Ballpark, as the Patriots finished the season 42-27 at home, tied for the
The Somerset Patriots defeated the Erie SeaWolves on Sunday afternoon by a final score of 8-5 at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, NJ. It was the final regular season home game of the season at TD Bank Ballpark, as the Patriots finished the season 42-27 at home, tied for the best mark in the Eastern League (Richmond).
The win secured a series split for Somerset, where all games were decided by three runs or less, with three of the games being decided in extra innings. The Patriots ended the series with 18 stolen bases in the six games.
RICE AND REPEAT
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) September 10, 2023
Ben Rice hits his 15th Double-A home run. pic.twitter.com/aedDuiYtv5
Somerset hit four home runs in a game for the 10th time this season, improving to 10-0 in such games. Somerset’s first two home runs of the day came as the Patriots’ 12th set of back-to-back home runs.
RHP Richard Fitts (5.0+ IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 4 BB, 5 K, 2 HR) improved to 10-5 on the season, earning the win and becoming the first 10-game winner in Somerset Patriots Double-A franchise history.
After Fitts started the first game of the season at TD Bank Ballpark, he also started the final regular season home game at the ballpark.
C Ben Rice (2-for-4, RBI, R, HR, BB, K) smashed his 19th overall home run of the season to lead off the sixth inning. Rice’s 15th homer capped his 18th multi-hit game out of 43 played at the Double-A level. Since joining the Patriots on July 18, Rice continues to lead the league with 15 HR, 45 RBI, 61 H, 28 XBH, and 120 TB, as well as his .674 SLG and 1.078 OPS.
2B Mickey Gasper (1-for-4, 3 RBI, R, HR) hit the first of Somerset’s four home runs, after pitching to three batters in the ninth inning of Saturday’s game. The homer marked Gasper’s sixth of the season, second of the series and first that was not a solo home run.
RF Jeisson Rosario (1-for-4, RBI, R, HR, K) snapped a 38-game homerless drought with his 10th home run of the season as part of a six-run third inning. The home run extended Rosario’s season-long hit streak to nine games, which is tied for the longest active hit streak in the Eastern League. During the streak, Rosario is 12-for-32 (.375/.432/.531) with 7 RBI and 4 R.
LF Grant Richardson (3-for-3, RBI, 2 R, HR, BB) opened up the 4th inning with a leadoff home run, his third at the Double-A level. Richardson reached base in all four trips he made to the plate. He has now reached base in nine straight games, ending the day with a .343/.439/.600 slash line with 3 HR, 6 RBI and 8 R in 10 Double-A games.