The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
New Britain, Connecticut – The Somerset Patriots (22-14) late rally fell short Thursday night in a 5-3 loss to the New Britain Bees (15-23) at New Britain Stadium.
Darren Ford (3) opened up the scoring as the first Bees batter with a leadoff solo home run to left field in the first inning. Jonathan Galvez (2) launched a solo homer to left-centerfield in the second before a run-scoring fielder’s choice later in the innings put New Britain up 3-0. 
The Patriots responded in the top of the sixth inning with an RBI single from Aaron Dudley that cut the deficit to 3-1. Somerset tied up the game the next inning on a Justin Trapp RBI groundout and a Craig Massey two-out RBI infield single.
New Britain regained a two-run lead in the bottom of the eighth. A pair of RBI sacrifice flies from Jason Rogers and Matt Tuiasosopo provided the Bees with a 5-3 advantage and topped off the scoring for the evening.
Patriots third baseman Craig Massey finished the game 3-for-4 with a walk, stolen base, run scored and an RBI.
“I’ve just tried to stay simple lately,” said Massey after the game. “I’m trying to stay balanced, see the ball, swing at good pitches and hopefully find the barrel.”
Elvin Rodriguez (1-3) earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief. Mike Antonini (2-1) yielded two runs over one inning to take the loss. Evan Scribner (2) tossed a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save. Neither starting pitcher factored into the decision.
The Patriots and the Bees continue their series Friday night. Somerset righty David Kubiak (1-0, 1.80 ERA) takes the mound against New Britain southpaw Andy Van Hekken (1-3, 3.85 ERA). First pitch at New Britain Stadium is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
The 2018 Somerset Patriots season presented by Ford continues on the road until Tuesday, June 12th when the Patriots return to TD Bank Ballpark to take on the York Revolution at 7:05 pm. For tickets, 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 36 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.
