Four Home Runs lead way in win over Senators

Cozens and Hoskins each have 22 home runs

June 30, 2016

The Fightin Phils (57-23) lineup for the second straight-game hit four home runs as they powered themselves to a 13-4 win over the Harrisburg Senators (42-36) on Thursday night. Reading has now won four-straight games and eight out of their last nine games. They also went 23-5 in June.

The Fightins took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as KC Serna scored on an error from Senators pitcher Boone Whiting. Harrisburg tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the second as Neftali Soto hit a home run off Ricardo Pinto. The Senators took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third on a RBI single from Wilmer Difo.

Rafael Bautista hit a one-out RBI single off Pinto in the top of the fifth to extend Harrisburg's lead to 3-1. The Senators got another run off Pinto in the top of the sixth as Drew Ward hit a RBI single. Pinto allowed four runs off nine hits and one walk with six strikeouts in six innings. Daniel Stumpf (1-0) threw a scoreless inning in the top of the seventh as he retired the side to earn the win.

Reading broke open the game in the bottom of the seventh as they scored five runs to take a 6-4 lead. Serna and Jorge Alfaro hit back-to-back singles in the bottom of the seventh then scored on a three-run home run from Dylan Cozens. The Fightins scored seven more runs in the bottom of the eighth as they extended their lead to 13-4.

Reading sent twelve batters to the plate as Rhys Hoskins, Harold Martinez and Osmel Aguila highlighted the inning with home runs. Martinez and Aguila hit back-to-back home runs. The last time the Fightins hit back-to-back home runs was on 6/22 vs. Akron when Hoskins and Jake Fox did it.

Mario Hollands pitched a scoreless bottom of the eighth. Joely Rodriguez gave up a home run to Stephen Perez in the top of the ninth to cut Reading's lead to 13-5.

The Fightin Phils and Harrisburg Senators continue their series on Friday night. First pitch is at 7:05 pm. Fans can listen to the game on Sports Radio AM 1240/FM 98.5 and fightins.com beginning at 6:35 pm. Fans can watch the game on MiLB.tv beginning at 7:05 pm.

Tickets for the 2016 season are available online at Fightins.com, by phone at 610-370-BALL, and in-person at FirstEnergy Stadium.