The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Sugar Land, Texas – The Somerset Patriots (20-13) evened up their seven-game series with the Sugar Land Skeeters (21-14) Thursday night with a 6-3 win at Constellation Field.
Somerset struck first with a four-run top of the second inning. Mike Fransoso opened the scoring with a two-out RBI single. Four more batters – all with two outs – reached base after Fransoso, including an RBI single from Craig Massey, a bases-loaded walk to Ramon Flores and a run-scoring wild pitch with Edwin Espinal at the plate. 
Sugar Land got a couple of runs back in the fourth on an Anthony Giansanti two-run single. The Patriots answered with an insurance run in the sixth on a Fransoso RBI fielder’s choice.
Fransoso finished the game 3-for-5 with a run scored, stolen base and two RBI.
The Skeeters trimmed the Somerset lead back to two in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI double from Denis Phipps. But that was as close as Sugar Land would get.
The Patriots added an Edwin Espinal RBI single in the top of the ninth for good measure, before Mike Antonini (12) closed the door for the save.
Brett Oberholtzer (2-1) earned the win after spinning 6.1 innings of two-run ball with a season-high seven strikeouts. Mitch Talbot (1-3) suffered the loss, allowing five runs on nine hits over six innings.
Somerset and Sugar Land continue their seven-game series Friday night. Southpaw Thomas Dorminy (0-3, 4.01 ERA) takes the mound for the Patriots against Skeeters’ righty Lucas Irvine (1-1, 3.52 ERA). First pitch at Constellation Field is scheduled for 7:35 p.m. ET (6:35 p.m. CT).
The 2019 Somerset Patriots Season presented by Ford will continue on the road until Tuesday, June 4th when the team returns to TD Bank Ballpark for a 7:05 pm game against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. For tickets, stop by the box office located at TD Bank Ballpark, call (908) 252-0700, or visit www.somersetpatriots.com.
