Rice Homers for Fourth Straight as Yard Goats Outlast Patriots in Saturday Night Slugfest
The Somerset Patriots were defeated by the Hartford Yard Goats by a score of 10-8 on Saturday night at TD Bank Ballpark. All 10 of Hartford’s runs in the game came with two outs, as did 14 out of the Yard Goats’ 15 hits and both of their walks. Offensively,
The Somerset Patriots were defeated by the Hartford Yard Goats by a score of 10-8 on Saturday night at TD Bank Ballpark.
All 10 of Hartford’s runs in the game came with two outs, as did 14 out of the Yard Goats’ 15 hits and both of their walks.
Offensively, Somerset’s 13 hits were a season-high, while the pitching staff’s 15 hits allowed matched their most in a game this season (April 12 @NH).
Five of nine batters in Somerset’s order (Spencer Jones, Ben Rice, Elijah Dunham, Ben Cowles, Alexander Vargas) had two hits each, while eight of nine batters had hits overall.
Despite trailing by five runs when the bottom of the ninth inning began, the Patriots brought three runs home with two outs and stranded the tying runs on base.
RHP Blane Abeyta (6.0 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 2 HR) pitched a season six innings, but gave up a career-high 10 hits and took the loss.
C Ben Rice (2-for-4, 2 RBI, 3 R, HR, BB, 2 K) secured multiple hits and a home run for the fourth straight day.
4th straight game with a home run for @Yankees No. 12 prospect Ben Rice pic.twitter.com/jLdPCjptnT
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) April 20, 2024
The occurrence marks the first time in Rice’s career that he’s homered in four consecutive games. Over the four games, Rice is 9-for-21 with 4 HR, 6 RBI and 7 R.
Coming out of the game, Rice’s five home runs rank second in the Eastern League, trailing only his teammate and fellow catcher Agustin Ramirez.
In 14 career games against the Hartford spanning back to July 19, 2023 (the day of his Double-A debut), Rice is now 26-for-61 (.426 AVG) with 9 HR, 20 RBI and 16 R against the Yard Goats.
DH Elijah Dunham (2-for-5, 3 RBI, R, HR, 2 K) opened up the scoring before an out was recorded in the bottom of the first inning, hitting a three-run homer for his second of the season. Now on a six-game hit streak, Dunham is 8-for-23 with 5 RBI, 3 R, 2 HR, 2 2B and 2 BB.
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