
Yard Goats pitcher Connor Van Scoyoc retired nine consecutive batters at one point in Friday night’s loss to New Hampshire.
HARTFORD, June 28, 2024 – A home run in the third inning from Kekai Rios was enough to lift the New Hampshire Fisher Cats to a 3-1 win over the Hartford Yard Goats in Eastern League action in front a sellout crowd of 7,090 at Dunkin Park on Friday night.
The win by Toronto’s Double A affiliate snapped a two-game winning streak for the Yard Goats.
Ryan Ritter drove in the Yard Goats’ lone run on an infield single in the eighth inning. Connor Van Scoyoc pitched seven quality innings as he conceded three earned runs and picked up a pair of strikeouts. Van Scoyoc had a stretch from the third to the sixth inning where he retired nine straight batters.
Fisher Cats starter Trenton Wallace pitched four scoreless innings before he exited the game with an apparent injury.
In the top of the third inning, Rios hit a solo home run to put the Fisher Cats up 1-0.
In the top of the sixth inning with two outs New Hampshire’s Ryan McCarty reached on an infield single and Josh Kasevich singled to center field. Alex De Jesus then doubled to right center field and drove McCarty and Kasevich home to make it a 3-0 ballgame.
The Yard Goats mounted a threat in the seventh inning as Yanquiel Fernandez worked a leadoff walk and Warming Bernabel singled to put runners on first and second base with no outs. But New Hampshire reliever Braydon Fisher got out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts and a forceout at second base.
On Thursday night, Hartford’s Yanquiel Fernandez hit a go-ahead two-run triple in the seventh inning in a 7-4 win before another sellout crowd at Dunkin Park. Hartford pitcher Juan Mejia pitched two scoreless innings of relief and earned his first win of the season. Seth Halvorsen picked up his seventh save of the year.
Yard Goat playoff tickets now on sale
HARTFORD – Eastern League playoff tickets are now on sale. The Yard Goats earned their first-ever playoff berth in Hartford by winning six of their final eight games to win the first half Northeast Division championship.
Hartford will host game two and three of the best-of-3 Northeast Division series beginning on Sept. 17.
If the Yard Goats advance to the Eastern League championship series, Hartford will have home field advantage by hosting games two and three of the best-of-three series.
2024 Eastern League playoff schedule
Northeast Division series
Best of Three
Tuesday, Sept. 17: Game 1 Yard Goats on road
Wednesday, Sept. 18: Off day
Thursday, Sept. 19: Game 2: At Dunkin Park, Hartford
Friday, Sept. 20: Game 3: At Dunkin Park, Hartford, if necessary
Eastern League championship series
Best of three
Sunday, Sept. 22: Game 1: Yard Goats on the road
Tuesday, Sept. 24: Game 2: At Dunkin Park, Hartford
Wednesday, Sept. 25: Game 3: At Dunkin Park, Hartford, if necessary
Gerry deSimas, Jr., is the editor and founder of The Collinsville Press. He is an award-winning writer and has been covering sports in Connecticut and New England for more than 40 years. He was inducted into the New England High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018.


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