Yard Goats beat Fisher Cats, 3-1

The Yard Goats break out their grey road uniforms this weekend in Portland. (Photo courtesy Hartford Yard Goats)

MANCHESTER, N.H., April 13 – Third baseman Ryan McMahon and shortstop Pat Valaika had two hits each and centerfielder Ryan Dahl hit his fourth home run in seven games as the Hartford Yard Goats beat the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, 3-1, in Eastern League play Wednesday afternoon.

Valaika, who leads the team with nine hits and is hitting .357, hit a two-run double. Dahl has six hits on the season and four are home runs. His fourth HR of the season came on a solo blast in the eighth inning. Yard Goats pitcher Zach Jemiola (1-0) earned his first win of the season, allowing just one hit over seven innings and striking out two.

Berlin native Matt Carasiti struck out two and earned his third save of the year.

Hartford (5-2) took a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Jan Vazquez and Raimel Tapia rapped back-to-back one-out singles and Valaika slashed a double to left to give the Yard Goats a 2-0 lead.

New Hampshire struck in the top of the sixth, as Jon Berti cracked a two-out double off Hartford starter Zach Jemiola. Dwight Smith, Jr. was able to lace a single through the box, scoring Berti and trimming Hartford’s lead to 2-1. In the eighth, Hartford added an insurance run. Dahl hit a solo homer over the right field fence to push the lead to 3-1.

The Yard Goats, who won’t play at home until May 31, go to Portland, Maine, for a four-game series. It will be their first true road games of the season. Hartford’s first two series against Richmond and New Hampshire were supposed to be played in Connecticut but construction continues at Dunkin Donuts Stadium.

Hartford 3, New Hampshire 1
At Manchester, NH
New Hampshire (2-3)    000  001  000 – 1-5-1
Hartford (5-2)                002  000  00x – 3-8-0
Jeremy Gabryszwsi, John Stilson (7) and Danny Barnes (8) and Wilkin Castillo; Zach Jemiola, Austin House (8) and Matt Carasiti (9) and Jan Vasquez; WP: Jemiola (1-0); LP: Gabryzwski (0-1); H: House 2, SV: Carasiti 3; 2B: Valaika (H), Graeter (H), Castillo (NH), Mesa (NH), Berti (NH); HR: Dahl (H)