Three-Run Fifth Pushes Hartford Past Baysox, 7-3

BOWIE, Md.- A three-run fifth lifted the Hartford Yard Goats (20-22) to a 7-3 win over the Bowie Baysox (22-22) in the series opener on Monday night at Prince George's Stadium in Bowie.

Anthony Phillips led off the fifth for Hartford with a solo shot off of Baysox starter David Hess and Dillon Thomas knocked home a pair later in the inning with a two-run double to open up a 5-2 advantage for the visitors.
Hess (5-3) surrendered the five runs on nine hits while walking one and fanning three in 4.1 IP.
Trailing 5-2, Bowie had runners at first and second with two outs in the sixth, but Yard Goats CF Omar Carrizales robbed Randolph Gassaway of a hit with a diving catch of a sinking liner in center.
Hartford took an early 1-0 lead with a run in the second as Thomas doubled and scored on Josh Fuentes' RBI double.
In the home half of the frame, back-to-back singles from Gassaway and D.J. Stewart (2-3, R) put two men on and both runners scored on Sean Coyle's two-out, two-run triple to give the Baysox a 2-1 lead.
The triple for Coyle marked his first since August 29, 2016 with Arkansas (AA).
Yard Goats starter Ryan Castellani (3-4) earned the win after giving up two runs on five hits to go along with three walks and four strikeouts in six innings of work.
Thomas doubled to lead off the fourth, took third on a lineout and scored on Jan Vázquez's RBI groundout to tie things at two apiece for the Yard Goats.
In the top of the seventh, a successfully executed double steal and an RBI double from Vazquez extended the Hartford lead to 7-2. Both runs were charged to RHP Jason García (2.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K).
The Baysox cut the lead to 7-3 with a run in the eighth as Garabez Rosa reached with a one-out single, advanced to second on a Stewart single and scored on Gassaway's (2-3, RBI, R) RBI single.
RHP Jefri Hernandez (1.0 IP, K) and RHP Bobby Bundy (1.0 IP, H, K) both had a scoreless outing in relief for the Baysox.
The series continues on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. as LHP Tanner Scott (0-0, 1.50) will be on the bump for Bowie against Hartford LHP Jack Wynkoop (3-2, 3.71).