PORTLAND, Maine- The Somerset Patriots used an eight run fourth inning on Tuesday night, and rallied past the Portland Sea Dogs 9-4 in Game 1 of the Eastern League Northeast Divisional Playoffs at Hadlock Field. Somerset now puts Portland on the brink of elimination in the best of three, in the first postseason appearance for the Sea Dogs since 2014.
Portland got off to a quick start with a three run bottom of the second inning by using the long ball. Christian Koss led off with a line drive single on the first pitch of the frame, and then with one out Niko Kavadas hit a 2-2 pitch over the wall in right center field for a two-run homerun. Hudson Potts made it back to back as he followed by taking a 1-0 pitch over the fence in left center for a 3-0 lead. Somerset (NY Yankees) starting pitcher Randy Vasquez silenced the home bats though after that. The Patriots did the majority of their damage in that fourth inning by batting around. It started harmless enough as Austin Wells struckout swinging against starter Shane Drohan. Andres Chaparro then reached on a throwing error by Drohan, and Elijah Dunham singled to put runners on the corners. Brandon Lockridge grounded into a force out to score Chaparro, before Jesus Bastidas singled and Tyler Hardman walked to load the bases. An infield single by Eric Wagaman brought home Lockridge to slice the deficit to 3-2, and forced a pitching change for the Sea Dogs with the bases still loaded. Ryan Zeferjahn came on and walked two batters in a row to force in a pair of runs to give Somerset the lead for good. Wells, who began the inning with a strikeout, would then slap a two-run single to center to make it 6-3. Jacob Webb was then summoned from the bullpen and walked Chaparro to re-load the bases, before Dunham had another hit with this one being a two-run single. The guests sent 13 men to the plate, with eight coming across to score. Trey Sweeney and Koss exchanged RBI singles for each team in the fifth and eighth inning respectively to finish the scoring on the night.
Drohan was tagged with the loss allowing five runs on five hits, with none of the runs being earned while walking two and striking out five in 3.2 innings. Koss had three hits and Wilyer Abreu had two for Portland. Dunham had four hits and Bastidas three for Somerset, with Sweeney, Wells, and Dunham knocking in two runs a piece. Vasquez picked up the pitching win giving up three runs on five hits with no walks and six strikeouts in 5.2 innings of work. The Sea Dogs now head to back to New Jersey, where they had just finished off their regular season against the Patriots on Sunday, for Game 2 of the series in a must win on Thursday at 6:35 p.m. A winner take all Game 3 would be Friday at 6:35. The winner of this Northeast Divisional Playoff will face the winner of the Southeast Divisional between Erie (Detroit Tigers) and Richmond (SF Giants) in a best of three that will be for the Eastern League Title. Prior to the start of Tuesdays game, Portland welcomed former playoff hero Devern Hansack to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Hansack was the winning pitcher when the ‘Dogs clinched their first and only Eastern League Title in 2006.
