New Britain Walks Off In Series Finale Over Patriots

New Britain, Conn. –  The Somerset Patriots (1-2, 43-30) dropped the final game of their road trip 5-4 to the New Britain Bees (2-1, 28-43) Wednesday evening at New Britain Stadium.

New Britain took an early 3-0 lead in the first inning on Jovan Rosa’s (9) three-run home run to left field.

Somerset responded on a Kyle Roller sacrifice fly in the fourth to trim the difference to two before James Skelton drew a bases-loaded walk the next half-inning, extending the lead back out to three.

The Patriots later rallied to tie the game at 4-4 in the seventh inning. A Yovan Gonzalez RBI single, followed by sacrifice flies from Justin Pacchioli and Scott Kelly brought Somerset even with New Britain.

The Bees won the ballgame in the bottom of the ninth on a run-scoring error on a ground ball hit back to the pitcher.

Patriots’ starting pitcher Will Oliver tossed a season-high seven innings and tied a Patriots’ single-game high with nine strikeouts.

“I had my cutter and some of my off-speed stuff working well tonight,” said Oliver. “My goal tonight was to simplify my game, so i thought it worked out alright.”

Shawn Gilblair (1-2) earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief. Kyler Newby (2-4) took the loss, yielding a run over one-third of an inning. Neither starting pitcher factored into the decision.

The Patriots have Thursday off before beginning a three-game series against the Sugar Land Skeeters Friday night. First pitch at TD Bank Ballpark is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Tickets to the 2017 Somerset Patriots Season presented by Ford, which includes the team’s 20th Anniversary, are on sale now. TD Bank Ballpark will be the host of the 2017 Atlantic League All-Star Game presented by RWJBarnabas Health and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey on Wednesday, July 12th. For more information, stop by the ballpark, call (908) 252-0700, or visit www.somersetpatriots.com.

About The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)

The Atlantic League has been a leader in professional baseball and a gateway to Major League Baseball since 1998. Over 37 million fans have attended Atlantic League games and more than 800 players and 50 managers and coaches have joined MLB organizations directly from the ALPB. The Atlantic League emphasizes winning baseball games, showcasing the talent of top-caliber players and offering affordable family entertainment to metropolitan markets serving nearly 15% of the US population.

For more information, please visit www.atlanticleague.com.

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