Skeeters Earn Series Split With 4-3 Win Over Patriots
Bridgewater, NJ- The Sugar Land Skeeters (16-12) defeated the Somerset Patriots (18-10) 4-3 at TD Bank Ballpark on Thursday evening.
The Skeeters took an early 2-0 lead in the second inning on a two-run home run by Lance Zawadzki (3).
Sugar Land added a run in the fifth inning on an RBI double by Albert Cordero and another in the sixth inning on an error.
The Patriots broke through in the seventh inning. With the bases loaded, Aharon Eggleston got Somerset on the board with an RBI single. Scott Kelly followed with a two-run single to cut the lead to 4-3.
“I was just trying to pass it on the next guy. That’s what we have been doing all year,” said Kelly, who finished the game 2-for-4 with two RBI. “We always put up a fight and our pitching holds us down. They just scored one more run than we did.”
The Patriots threatened again in the ninth inning before their rally got cut short with a game ending double play.
Brett Marshall (4-1) allowed three runs on four hits and struck out eight in six innings for the win. Jerome Williams (1-1) allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits in six innings of work for the loss. Felipe Paulino earned his fifth save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning.
“You have to give credit to their pitcher. He kept us off balance and we didn’t get much going. He was working quick and we didn’t take him out of his rhythm so we couldn’t push much across early,” said Somerset Patriots manager Brett Jodie. “It was good to push back late and hold them to a minimum. We had the chance to tie it or go ahead in the end and that’s really all you can ask for.”
The 2017 Somerset Patriots Season presented by Ford will continue on the road until Friday, May 26th when the Patriots return to TD Bank Ballpark to Kick Off Summer with a 7:05 pm game against the Bridgeport Bluefish. For tickets, visit www.somersetpatriots.com.