BRIDGEWATER, NJ- After a Tuesday postponement due to rain the Portland Sea Dogs started a huge six game series on Wednesday evening by playing a pair of seven inning games against the first place team in the Northeast League, the Somerset Patriots, at TD Bank Ballpark. At the end of the day, the Sea Dogs remained 1.5 games behind the Patriots by splitting the doubleheader.
In the first game, Somerset jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning but Portland scored single runs in the third, fourth, and fifth to take a 3-2 win. Grant Williams and Tyreque Reed both hit solo homeruns in the third and fourth to tie it 2-2, and Triston Casas had an RBI groundout in the fifth that proved to be the game winner. Cameron Cannon had two hits to lead the Sea Dogs, while Emmanuel De Jesus (4-2) picked up the win in relief of starter Chris Murphy. Brandon Lockridge had two hits including a solo homer for the Patriots, and Barrett Loseke (0-1) lost on the hill in relief.
In game two, Hayden Wesneski pitched a complete game four hit shutout as Somerset earned the split with a 3-0 victory. A Portland throwing error in the first inning provided all the runs the Patriots needed. Chase Illig later added a two-run double in the fourth. Frank German (3-7) took the loss on the mound for the Sea Dogs allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits with one walk and five strikeouts in 5.0 innings. Isiah Gilliam had two hits for Somerset (52-33), and Wesneski allowed two walks and had seven strikeouts in the 7.0 inning effort. Portland (50-34) continues the series on Thursday night with game three scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
