The Somerset Patriots’ record of 6-9 just recently improved to 9-12 after their most recent series against the Hartford Yard Goats from April 22 to April 27. The week concluded with both teams taking home three wins from the series. After this series, the Patriots remain standing fourth in the Eastern League Northeast.
The series began Tuesday with a 7-3 victory over the Yard Goats for Bark In The Park night. This matchup began with an immediate five runs in the first from the Patriots, quickly giving them the lead throughout the game. After earning another run in the second and fourth innings, the Yard Goats responded in the fifth inning with three runs. Despite this, it was not enough to conquer the Patriots, and they took the first win of the series.
For the second game, the tides turned slightly. The game started slowly, with only a single run scored in the second inning by the Patriots. Despite this, the Yard Goats fought back, earning one run in the sixth, followed shortly by another three in the seventh. With only another singular run earned in the seventh, the Patriots could not keep up, and the Yard Goats left with a 4-2 win on STEM Education Night.
The April 24 game was quite a tight matchup. The Patriots took the early edge with one run earned in the first. As the innings progressed, both teams successfully denied runs from the other up until the sixth inning, where the Patriots scored once again. After a little longer of the back-and-forth battle to earn a run, the game came to a close, ending with a score of 2-0, the Patriots victorious again.
As the halfway point of the series hit, the teams currently stood with the Patriots holding two wins, and the Yard Goats with one. Despite the lead previously held by the Patriots, this was not a defying factor for Hartford. The first inning of Mickey Jersey Night ended with each team earning one run, but this changed rapidly. As the game progressed, the Yard Goats chipped away at the Patriots and ended up with nineteen runs to end the game. The Yard Goats earned one run in the first, three runs in the second, five runs in the third, four runs in the fourth, and a whopping six runs in the fifth. With only four runs earned across the first, fourth, and seventh innings, the Patriots could not compete with the Yard Goats that night. The series progressed to 2-2.
After an insanely eventful night, the team came back out for Jersey Diners Night to redeem themselves. Both teams spent their Friday night trying to take the win and lead the series, but only one team was going to accomplish that. The first inning was scoreless, yet as soon as the second inning began, the matchup truly began. Hartford took the early lead with two runs in this inning and earned another in the third. The Patriots attempted to combat it with one run in the third, but the game continued with the Yard Goats leading 3-1. In one final attempt to take another win, the Patriots earned another three runs in the sixth. Unchallenged by the Yard Goats, the Patriots took the close win home and led the series 3-2 going into their final game.
As the final matchup of the series began on the teams “Unicorn Day” (April 27), and both teams went into it looking for a win. The first run of the game was earned by the Patriots in the second inning, where they earned two. The rivalry continued throughout the fourth and fifth innings, where each team earned one run. In the sixth, Hartford earned a singular run, and the Patriots with two. The game seemed close, but that was until the Yard Goats showed up in the seventh inning, where they earned four runs, taking the lead. This continued into the ninth inning, where seven runs were scored by the Yard Goats, ultimately ensuring their victory. With a final score of 13-5, the Yard Goats won the final game of the series.
The series between the Somerset Patriots and Hartford Yard Goats ended 3-3, both teams earning three wins each to add to their current records. The Somerset Patriots currently stand with a record of 12 – 8, and the Hartford Yard Goats are currently 9- 12. The Patriots face the Richmond Flying Squirrels of the Southwest Division tonight at 6:35 pm EST. Tune in tonight to see the beginning of the series between the two.
