The Portland Sea Dogs season came to an end on Thursday night, as Brandon Lockridge hit a walkoff single in the bottom of the 10th inning lifting the Somerset Patriots to a 6-5 comeback win at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, New Jersey. Somerset wins the best of three Eastern League Northeast Divisional Playoff series 2-0. The Patriots (NY Yankees) now advance to meet the Erie Seawolves (Detroit Tigers) in a best of three for the Eastern League Championship.
Portland, in need of a win to force a Game 3, had a 3-0 lead into the last of the seventh inning. Christian Koss along with Stephen Scott had sacrifice RBI flyouts in the fourth and sixth inning respectively, and Elih Marrero had an RBI double in the seventh for the third run. Somerset rallied in the last of the seventh, as Jeisson Rosario singled and Jesus Bastidas walked with one out. After Mickey Gaspar struckout swinging, Lockridge singled to score Rosario and Trey Sweeney walked to load the bases. Back to back walks issued by reliever Taylor Broadway tied the game 3-3, but the Sea Dogs were able to escape without any further damage. Koss singled for Portland to lead off the eighth inning and then after two were out, Hudson Potts hit a two-run homerun to centerfield on a 2-2 pitch to regain the lead 5-3. The home Patriots weren’t quite done though. Gaspar led off the last of the ninth with a single, before Lockridge and Sweeney both struckout leaving the guests just one out away from tying the series. Jasson Dominquez walked to keep it alive, and Austin Wells singled to score pinch runner Max Burt. Andres Chaparro made it 5-5 with a single to left to bring home Dominquez sending the game to the 10th. With the runner starting at second base extra inning rule, the Sea Dogs couldn’t produce anything in the top half as Niko Kavadas struckout, Potts popped out, and Izzy Wilson was called out on strikes. Bastidas led off the last of the 10th by getting hit by a pitch by Ryan Zeferjahn, and then a wild pitch by Zeferjahn moved runners up to second and third. Burt struckout swinging, before Lockridge ended it with a groundball single to right field.
Zeferjahn took the loss in relief for Portland. Thaddeus Ward started the game and didn’t allow a run on one hit with two walks and seven strikeouts in 4.2 innings. Ceddanne Rafaela had two hits. The Sea Dogs end the second half of their season at 45-26, and a final overall record of 75-65 in their first playoff appearance since 2014. Carson Coleman picked up the win for Somerset, with Dominquez and Lockridge both leading the way with two hits a piece. The Patriots are now 85-53. The best of three Eastern League Championship Series begins on Sunday. Erie and Somerset will both be seeking their first Eastern League title.
