HARTFORD, May 14, 2022 — Michael Toglia’s home run in the bottom of the ninth inning brought the Hartford Yard Goats within a run, but the Portland Sea Dogs held on to beat Hartford, 5-4, in front of a sellout crowd at Dunkin’ Donuts Park on Saturday night.
Isaac Collins tallied his fourth multi-hit game of the season, and Niko Decolati reached base three times for the Yard Goats. But Portland snapped Hartford’s three-game winning streak. With the sellout of more than 6,800 fans the Yard Goats went over the 100,000 attendance mark in their 20th home game at Dunkin’ Donuts Park, tying the fastest in team history.
Portland (15-17) grabbed the lead in the top of the first on a two-run single by Pedro Castellanos off Hartford starter Mitch Kilkenny. An RBI double by Tyreque Reed extended the Sea Dogs lead to 3-0.
Hartford (18-14) responded quickly by scoring two runs in the bottom of the first off Portland starter Victor Santos. Michael Toglia’s RBI groundout scored Isaac Collins, who led off the inning with a double. After a two-out double by Jimmy Herron, Willie MacIver kept the rally going with a double of his own in the left center gap, scoring Herron and cutting Portland’s lead to 3-2.
The Sea Dogs added one run in the second on a David Hamilton home run and another on Nick Sogard’s RBI walk, extending their lead 5-2. The Yard Goats got a run back in the bottom of the sixth on a double by Aaron Schunk scoring Kyle Datres. Michael Toglia cracked a solo home run into the right field upper-deck in the bottom of the ninth, his fifth of the season to make the score 5-4.
