Yard Goats Power Play Ices Walk Off Win Over Thunder

Hartford, CT- Top Colorado Rockies prospect Brendan Rodgers' second home run of the game over the wall in left field, lifted the Hartford Yard Goats to a 7-6 walk off win over the first place Trenton Thunder in 13 innings Saturday night at Dunkin' Donuts Park. Several former Hartford Whalers were onlookers on Whalers Alumni Weekend. Rodgers' dramatics occurred before the 19th sellout crowd of the season, 6,850, the third time this season Dunkin' Donuts Park has been filled to maximum capacity. It was also the sixth straight Saturday night sellout for the Yard Goats.

Rodgers, who homered in the first inning of the game and the last inning of the contest, made a winner of reliever Konnor Wade, the last of five relievers, who held the league's top scoring club scoreless over the last 9.1 innings of the game. Rodgers and Drew Weeks each had two home runs.
The Yard Goats jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, sending nine men to the plate. The highlight of the frame was back-to-back solo home runs by Rodgers and Weeks off of Yankees pitching prospect Domingo Acevedo. Dillon Thomas and Luis Jean added run-scoring singles.
Trenton chipped away with two runs in the second inning off of Parker French, with an RBI-ground out by Francisco Diaz and Tito Polo's run-scoring single. The Thunder erupted for four runs in the fourth, chasing French. Back-to-back RBI doubles by Polo and Thairo Estrada and a two-run homer to left by Billy Fleming gave Trenton a 6-4 edge. But Weeks tied it in Goats' half of the fourth with his second homer of the game, a two run blast over wall in left center.
Rodgers led the Yard Goats' 14-hit attack with four hits, including his two homers. Thomas added three hits, while Weeks had two hits, both home runs and Jean collected two hits. Polo's four hits topped the Trenton attack.
The series wraps up Sunday afternoon at 1:35 p.m. Righthander Ryan Castellani will pitch for the Yard Goats against Brody Koerner for the Thunder. The game can be heard on AM 1410 WPOP and on iHeart Radio.