Season-high 17 hits lifts Yard Goats to big win over Richmond

Colton Welker was 3-for-4 with two RBI in Tuesday night’s win over Richmond.

HARTFORD, April 16 – The Hartford Yard Goats had a season-high 17 hits and 13 runs to roll to a 13-3 Eastern League victory over the Richmond Flying Squirrels Monday night before 4,915 fans at Dunkin’ Donuts Park.

It was more than enough for Yard Goats pitcher Brandon Gold, who turned in a quality start and earned his first EL victory of the season. He allowed just three runs over six innings, scattering six hits, striking out four and walking none.

Reliever Heath Holder struck out five over the final three innings to earn his first save of the season.

Colton Welker, Tyler Nevin and Vince Fernandez each had three hits and two RBI.  Alan Trejo added three hits to lift his batting average to .476.   Manny Melendez had two hits and two RBI, while Willie Abreu  added a double and home run.

Hartford (5-8) broke the game open in the second inning, scoring six runs, helped by a bases loaded error by left fielder Chris Shaw.

After Richmond starter Alfred Gutierrez surrendered a bases loaded walk Melendez to tie the game 1-1, Shaw dropped a fly ball by Bret Boswell with two outs, enabling all three runners to score.  Run-scoring singles by Trejo and Welker chased Gutierrez, as the Goats sent 11 batters to the plate.

After Richmond (6-4) cut the lead in half, Hartford tacked on two runs in the sixth on Welker’s RBI-double and Nevin’s RBI single.  Abreu’s first EL home run in the seventh added another run, before the Yard Goats batted around in the eighth inning and scored four runs, led by Fernandez’ two-run double.

It was a nice recovery for Hartford, who had just four hits in Sunday night’s 5-1 loss to Richmond. Trejo had two doubles to lift his league-leading average to .459.

Richmond’s Brandon Beachy, a former Major League pitcher, is attempting to make a comeback following two Tommy John surgeries. He got his first win of the season, allowing just one hit over five innings, walking one and striking out four.