
Sterlin’ Thompson had a hit in Sunday’s Eastern League win in Harrisburg.
The Hartford Yard Goats continue to win close games. For the ninth time in the last two weeks, Hartford won a one-run contest with a 3-2 win over Harrisburg in Eastern League action Sunday at FNB Field in Harrisburg, Pa.
The Yard Goats (38-30) have won their last seven one-run games including four against the Senators, who went 2-4 in the six-game series against Hartford and lost the first half Southeast Division title.
Erie (38-29) won their fifth straight game on Sunday with a 10-7 win over Somerset to capture the first half Southeast Division title by one game. Harrisburg slips to 38-31.
Hartford secured their first Eastern League playoff berth since they came to Hartford in 2016 on Saturday night with a 3-1 win over Harrisburg to win the first half Northeast Division title. Hartford finished 2.5 games ahead of Portland and Binghamton to win the first half pennant. It’s the first playoff berth for the franchise since 2009 when they were known as the New Britain Rock Cats.
On Sunday, Hartford’s Zach Kokoska hit a three-run double in the first inning to lift the Yard Goats. Hartford starting pitcher Jarrod Cande and five Yard Goat relievers scattered 11 hits in the victory.
In the first inning, Hartford loaded the bases on two singles and a hit batsman and Kokoska cracked a line drive over center fielder Cody Wilson’s head, scoring Bladimir Restituyo, Sterlin Thompson and Braxton Fulford, giving Hartford a 3-0 lead.
Harrisburg scored a run off Cande on a wild pitch and it was a 3-1 game after five innings.
Harrisburg made a run at Yard Goats reliever Evan Shawver in the seventh inning. Harrisburg’s Cody Wilson led off with a double and later scored on an infield grounder by Brady House to make it a 3-2 game.
The Hartford bullpen of Bryce McGowan, Evan Shawver, Angel Chivilli, Alec Barger and Juan Mejia allowed just one run in the final four innings and had five strikeouts. Yard Goats relievers have surrendered just three runs over the past 11 games in a span of 40 innings.
Hartford is 7-0 in their last seven one-run ballgames and 9-2 in their last 11 one-run contests.
Hartford returns to Dunkin’ Park on Tuesday to open up a six-game homestand agansst the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at 7:10 p.m. The Cats are the Double A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Yard Goats are the Double A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies.
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.


Boys Basketball
High-scoring Warriors score 89 points in rout of Lyman Memorial
