Reading’s Johan Rojas was 4-for-6 with one RBI while teammate Ethan Wilson was 3-for-6 with five RBI as the visiting Fighting Phillies rapped out 17 hits in an 11-1 win over the Hartford Yard Goats Friday night at Dunkin’ Park in Eastern League action.
Wilson’s home run, a three-run shot in the third inning, was his third of the series. Reading (9-15) hit three home runs in the win with Drew Ellis and Nick Podkul also hitting homers. Ellis had a solo shot while Podkul had a three-run homer in the fifth inning.
Hartford (12-11) had five hits including a home run from Grant Lavigne, who hit his third home run of the season. Bladimir Restituyo extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a single in the first inning. It is the longest current hitting streak in the Eastern League.
Hartford took a 1-0 lead in the first inning thanks to a RBI double from Zac Veen.
Reading’s response came in the third inning. After Carlos De La Cruz reached base on a fielder’s choice and Johan Rojas roped a single to right field, Ethan Wilson hit a three-run home run to left-centerfield for his third home run of the series for a 3-1 lead. De La Cruz had a RBI single in the fourth inning to extend the lead to 4-1.
Reading blew out the game with a pair of home runs in the fifth inning. Drew Ellis had a solo shot while Podkul had a three-run blast over the left field wall for an 8-1 lead.
The Yard Goats have lost three of their last four games. Game five of this six-game series is Saturday night at Dunkin Park in Hartford.
Reading 11, Hartford 1
At Hartford
Reading (9-15) 003 141 200 — 11-17-0
Hartford (12-11) 100 000 000 — 1-5-0
Abel, McKay (7), Lingfelter (8), Leverett (9) and McDowell; Quezada, Del Bonta-Smith (5), McKillican (7), Ethridge (8) and Romo; WP: Abel (2-1); LP: Quezada (1-2); 2B: Stokes (Re), Wilson (Re), Veen (H); 3B: Rojas (Re), HR: Lavigne (H), Wilson (Re), Ellis (Re), Podkul (Re)
