HARTFORD, April 8, 2023 – After opening the season with a pair of losses, catcher Ronaiker Palma made sure the Hartford Yard Goats left Dunkin’ Park with a victory on Saturday afternoon.
Palma drove in Hunter Goodman in the bottom of the 10th inning, and Hartford won its first game of the season by the score of 6-5 against the Bowie Baysox at Dunkin’ Park in Hartford.
Goodman started the extra frame as the automatic runner at second base and scored from third on a line drive single to center field by Palma, giving the Yard Goats (1-2) a walk-off win. Palma had a pair of hits in his Yard Goats debut. Austin Kitchen fired three scoreless innings for Hartford to earn the win.
The Baysox (2-1) scored the first run of the game in the second inning, as Ramon Rodriguez cracked a two-out double to center field, scoring Donta Williams, against Hartford starter Joe Rock. The lefty pitched 3.2 innings and recorded five strikeouts in his first game of the season.
The Yard Goats took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second inning with a two-out rally against Bowie starter Cade Povich. After retiring the first two batters, Povich allowed a single to Palma, double to Eddie Diaz and walked Zac Veen. Bladimir Restituyo followed with a two-RBI single, scoring Palma and Diaz and giving Hartford its first lead of the season.
The Baysox added three runs in the fourth inning to take a 4-2 lead, highlighted by a two-run homer by John Rhodes. However, the Yard Goats kept it close. Zac Veen singled home Julio Carreras in the fourth inning to make it 4-3. Then, after Bowie took a 5-3 lead with a run in the seventh, the Yard Goats tied it with a pair of runs in the eighth inning.
In the 10th inning, Drew Romo sacrificed Hunter Goodman to third base with an excellent bunt on the grass in front of the plate. The Baysox intentionally walked Grant Lavigne putting runners at the corners with one out. Reliever Jensen Elliott retired Julio Carreras on a flyball to center field and then Palma ripped a two out single, scoring Goodman for the 6-5 win.
Hartford hits the road next week for a six-game road trip to Reading, Pa., to face the Phillies. The Yard Goats will play Tuesday will be broadcast on AM 1410, FM 100.9 and on the iheart radio app. The Yard Goats return to Hartford on April 18 to host the New York Mets affiliate, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies.
Hartford 6, Bowie 5 (10)
At Hartford
Bowie (2-1) 010 300 100 0 — 5-9-1
Hartford (1-2) 020 100 020 1 — 6-8-1
Povich, Van Loon (4), Burch (6), Strowd (7), Loeprich (8), Elliott (8) and Rodrigues; Rock, Spain (4), Kilkenny (6), Kitchen (8) and Palma; WP: Kitchen (1-0); LP: Elliott (0-1); 2B: Rodriguez (B), Diaz (H), Carreras (H); HR: Rhodes (B)
