Fightins Fall as Patriots Walk Off Game One
BOX SCORE (Bridgewater, NJ) - Two runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth led the Somerset Patriots (6-1, 38-38) to a 7-6 win over the Reading Fightin Phils (2-5, 33-42) on Monday night at TD Bank Ballpark. After Spencer Jones doubled off Carlos Francisco (L, 3-2) to
(Bridgewater, NJ) - Two runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth led the Somerset Patriots (6-1, 38-38) to a 7-6 win over the Reading Fightin Phils (2-5, 33-42) on Monday night at TD Bank Ballpark.
After Spencer Jones doubled off Carlos Francisco (L, 3-2) to lead off the bottom of the ninth, Francisco retired the next two hitters he faced. Jones moved to third though on a ground out from Benjamin Cowles. With two strikes to Rafael Flores, Francisco threw a wild pitch, which allowed Jones to score and tie the game at six. Flores then doubled and Elijah Dunham followed with a double to score Flores and give Somerset the walk-off victory.
The Patriots jumped out early to a 3-0 lead with two runs in the first and one in the second off Reading started Lachlan Wells. Wells would ultimately settle in and allowed just those three runs over five innings of work, with three strikeouts and one walk. He did not factor into the decision.
Reading would then put up five-unanswered runs with two in the fifth, and three in the sixth to grab a 5-3 lead at the time. Marcus Lee Sang doubled and Carlos De La Cruz singled to bring the first two tallies home for Reading. A Kendall Simmons double in the sixth scored two to put Reading up, then a Lee Sang ground out scored Simmons to extend the lead to two.
Eury Ramos would relieve Wells and looked excellent. Ramos went two-scoreless innings, allowing just one hit, and striking out four. Daniel Harper followed Ramos in the bottom of the eighth and allowed two runs to the Patriots to even the game back up at five. It was an Aaron Palensky two-out double in the inning that evened the score.
Reading re-took the lead in the top of the ninth, 6-5, off Luis Velasquez (W, 2-2). Lee Sang singled, then stole second and scored on a Trevor Schwecke single. But, the Fightin Phils ultimately couldn't hold onto the lead.
The Fightin Phils return to the field Tuesday at the Somerset Patriots, Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, at 7:05 p.m. LHP Matt Osterberg is scheduled to start for Reading, and he will go opposite RHP Zach Messinger for the Patriots. A video stream is available via MiLB TV or the Bally Live App.
Reading returns to FirstEnergy Stadium from July 4-6 for the back half of a home-and-home series with the Somerset Patriots. Thursday is the Fourth of July and will feature Carpenter MEGA Blast Fireworks, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Lottery. It will also be a Stars and Stripes Patriotic Celebration and the R-Phils will wear Military Appreciation Jerseys. Friday features fireworks, thanks to Countryside Fuel, and Wrestling Hall of Famer and Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle will be in Baseballtown. The series finishes Saturday night with a Carpenter MEGA Blast Fireworks Show, presented by Meesha Aesthetics. The Fightin Phils will also pay tribute to Star Wars by wearing Star Wars' jerseys that will be raffled and auctioned off after the game. The Fightin Phils will be off Sunday and Monday July 7-8, then return home from Tuesday, July 9 through Sunday, July 14, against the Akron Rubber Ducks, Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians.
To buy tickets, call 610-370-BALL, go to rphils.com/tickets, or in person at the Customers Bank Ticket Office. The Fightin Phils Brentwood Industries Team Store is open both in-person and online 24/7 at rphils.com/shop.
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