Yard Goats Win First Half Championship

Yard Goats Win First Half Championship

Final: Hartford 3, Harrisburg 1

WP: Connor Van Scoyoc (3-5)

LP: Michael Cuevas (1-7)

Time: Seth Halvorsen (6)

Harrisburg, PA- The Hartford Yard Goats won the first half Northeast Division Championship by defeating the Harrisburg Senators 3-1 on Saturday night at FNB Field in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Connor Van Scoyoc pitched 6.2 innings, and allowed just one run on three hits along with six strikeouts helping Hartford to its first ever title. He retired 18 consecutive batters from the first to the seventh innings. Jaden Hill and Seth Halvorsen closed out the game. Yanquiel Fernandez hit a solo home run, and Ryan Ritter had the go-ahead RBI single in the fifth inning. The Yard Goats will play the winner of the second half for a playoff series in September.

The Senators scored the first run of the game in the first inning as Brady House cranked a solo home run off Connor Van Scoyoc. Van Scoyoc retired the next 18 batters after the homer, including the side in order in the second through sixth innings.

The Yard Goats tied the game in the fourth inning when Yanquiel Fernandez led off the inning with a home run off Harrisburg starter Michael Cuevas into the right field seats and it was 1-1.

Hartford took a 2-1 lead with a two-out rally in the fifth inning. Cristopher Navarro was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a single by Bladimir Restituyo. Ryan Ritter followed with a single to right field, scoring Navarro from second base and giving the Yard Goats the lead.

The Yard Goats added a run on a squeeze play in the ninth inning as Ronaiker Palma got Kyle Datres home on a bunt and it was 3-1 Hartford.

Cristopher Navarro made a game saving defense play in the seventh inning with the bases loaded. Israel Pineda hit a hard grounder up the middle and Navarro made a backhanded sliding stop and threw him out at first base to keep the Yard Goats ahead 2-1.

The Yard Goats bullpen of Jaden Hill and Seth Halvorsen retired seven of eight batters faced including the side in order in the ninth inning. Hartford’s bullpen had allowed just two earned runs over the past 10 games in a span of 36 innings.

The Yard Goats conclude their road trip in Pennsylvania against the Washington Nationals affiliate, the Harrisburg Senators on Sunday afternoon (1:00 PM) at FNB Field. RHP Jarrod Cande will start for the Yard Goats and RHP Chase Solesky will pitch for the Senators. The game will be streamed live on MiLB.tv and broadcast on the free Audacy app.