Hart tosses career high eight innings in 6-2 Sea Dogs win

Portland, Maine - Kyle Hart worked a career-high eight innings and the Sea Dogs (17-31) defeated the Reading Fightin Phils (19-28) 6-2 on Sunday afternoon at Hadlock Field.

Hart (W, 3-3) allowed two runs (one earned) on seven hits, he walked one and fanned six. The lefty from Indiana University threw exactly 100 pitches (70 strikes). The outing was the longest by a Sea Dogs' starter this season and the longest since Kevin McAvoy went eight innings on August 8th. 2017 at Richmond.
Portland got off to a quick start with two first innings runs. First Josh Ockimey drove in Jeremy Rivera with an infield single, two batters later Josh Tobias delivered a two-out single to score Jantzen Witte and give Portland a 2-0 lead.
Reading got on the board in the third on an RBI groundout by Malquin Canelo to score Brandon Bednar and cut the Sea Dogs' lead to 2-1.
Portland was able to answer with an RBI infield single in the bottom of the fourth by Ockimey and later in the sixth Jeremy Rivera scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 4-1.
After Reading got a run back in the top of the eighth, the Sea Dogs scored two unearned runs in the eighth on singles by Witte and Tobias after an error by pitcher Seth McGarry.
Rivera had three hits and two walks and scored four times for Portland. Witte had three hits - including two doubles - and an RBI, Tobias also had three hits and an RBI. Ockimey finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs.
The Sea Dogs and Fightins wrap-up a five-game series on Monday afternoon with a 1:00 PM start from Hadlock Field. Lefty Matt Kent (2-2, 2.93) makes his 10th appearance of the season for Portland.
Radio coverage begins at 12:45 PM on the WPEI U.S. Cellular Sea Dogs Radio Network. MiLB.TV starts at 12:55 PM.
Tickets for Monday's game can be purchased by visiting seadogs.com or calling 207-879-9500.