Yard Goats top New Hampshire thanks to four home runs

Hartford beat New Hampshire Sunday to close out Whalers’ Alumni Weekend at Dunkin’ Donuts Park. (Photo courtesy Hartford Yard Goats)

HARTFORD, July 14 – Whalers’ Alumni Weekend ended with a bang at Dunkin’ Donuts Park Sunday night. The Hartford Yard Goats and New Hampshire Fisher Cats sent seven baseballs over the fence before another sellout crowd.

The Yard Goats hit four home runs to beat the Fisher Cats, 6-3 in an Eastern League victory. Scott Burcham, Bret Boswell, Mylz Jones and Brian Serven each hit home runs, as the Yard Goats managed a split in the four game series. A total of 20 home runs were hit over the four game series in Hartford.

New Hampshire got a leadoff home run by Forrest Wall and solo homers by Nash Knight and Kevin Smith as they were defeated by Hartford for the 16th time in 23 games this season.

Eastern League All-Star Heath Holder pitched five innings to record his fifth win on the mound for the Yard Goats. He scattered seven hits and gave up just three runs with no walks and four strikeouts. Alexander Guillen, an EL All-Star reliever, pitched around a one out walk in the sixth inning and retired the side in order in the seventh and eighth innings.  Scott Griggs hurled a 1-2-3 ninth to register his fourth save of the season.

Trailing 3-1 in the fourth inning, Hartford’s Bret Boswell cranked a two-run homer, his ninth of the year, to tie the game at 3-3.  The Yard Goats took a 4-3 lead on Tyler Nevin’s RBI single in the fifth inning off reliever William Ouelette.

Hartford added to its lead with a pair of solo homers in the sixth inning off Fisher Cat pitcher Jake Fishman.  Mylz Jones smashed a one out homer and Brian Serven connected on a two out homer to make it a 6-3 game.

The Yard Goats continue their seven game homestand on Monday night at Dunkin’ Donuts Park, as Hartford hosts the Richmond Flying Squirrels at 7:05 p.m.