Yard Goats Score Two In 9th To Win 4th Consecutive Game
Manchester, NH- Conner Capel led off the ninth inning with a game-tying home run, and GJ Hill cracked a two-out RBI single leading the Yard Goats past the first-place New Hampshire Fisher Cats 3-2 on Saturday afternoon at Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester, New Hampshire. The Fisher Cats had a 2-1 lead from the second through the eighth innings. The Yard Goats have won four consecutive games and six of seven to pull within one-half game of the top spot in the division. The victory also secured Hartford’s second straight road series win. Konner Eaton pitched six innings and allowed just two runs, Cade Denton fired two perfect innings for the win, and Carlos Torres earned the save with a scoreless ninth inning.
The Fisher Cats scored the first two runs of the game in the first inning against Hartford starter Konner Eaton. Sean Keys delivered a two-run single, scoring Arjun Nimmala and Jace Bohrofen and giving New Hampshire a 2-0 lead. Eaton allowed just two runs after allowing three hits and walking three as the Fisher Cats left the bases loaded.
Eaton settled down after throwing 32 pitches in the first inning, and allowed only two more hits the rest of the way. The lefty retired seven in a row, and nine of ten batters from the second through fifth innings. He put away the Fisher Cats in order in the third and fourth innings and completed six innings allowing just two runs.
The Yard Goats got a run back in the second inning. Zach Kokoska clubbed a double to left field, advanced to third on a hit by Braylin Wimmer and scored on a sacrifice fly by Dyan Jorge to make it a 2-1 game.
It was a 2-1 game heading to the ninth inning with reliever Alex Amalfi about to work his fourth inning. Conner Capel led off the inning with a home run over the right field fence to tie the game at 2-2. Zach Kokoska followed with a single and stole second base. Later in the inning, GJ Hill cracked an RBI single, scoring Kokoska from second base and giving the Yard Goats their first lead 3-2.
Yard Goats reliever Cade Denton retired all six batters faced in the seventh and eighth innings, with a pair of strikeouts and turned it over to Carlos Torres in the ninth. Torres sat down the first two batters before Jay Harry had a pinch-hit single. The righty retired Jackson Hornung to end the game.
The Yard Goats conclude the six-game series on Sunday afternoon in Manchester, New Hampshire (1:05 PM). Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner will start for the Yard Goats on MLB rehab and RHP Chris McElvain will pitch for the Fisher Cats. The game will be broadcast on the free Audacy App, iHeartRadio app, Yard Goats website and streamed on MiLB.TV. The Yard Goats return to Dunkin’ Park for their next homestand next Tuesday night (7:10 PM) to host the Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate, the Altoona Curve.