HARTFORD, Conn. – The Hartford Yard Goats bid farewell to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Sunday afternoon with a bunt, earning a walk-off 5-4 win off Bret Boswell’s first pitch infield single and a throwing error from Fisher Cat third baseman Vinny Capra.
The pendulum swung back and forth during the early innings. A single from Arvincent Perez brought home Hartford’s initial run in the first, and Riley Adams answered with a sac fly RBI in the second.
Hartford responded in the third with a solo homer from Tyler Neven as well as an RBI double by Boswell.
New Hampshire tied things up in the fourth with a two-run blast by Patrick Kivelhan, taking the lead in the fifth off an RBI single from Santiago Espinal.
A bases-loaded walk in the seventh let Hartford create one more tie game, setting the stage for Boswell’s extra-inning heroics.
The two teams combined for 19 hits, with New Hampshire getting multi-hit efforts from Capra, Kivlehan and catcher Alberto Mineo. Mineo’s multi-hit game was his first since going 4-for-4 against Reading earlier in the week, putting his hitting streak to two after losing a seven-game hitting streak at the start of the Hartford series.
Alexander Guillen climbed to 1-1 with his three innings of relief for the Goats, giving up just one hit and one walk over that stretch.
The loss went to Bryan Baker, giving up only Boswell’s bunt. Boswell was the only batter Baker faced, with Perez beginning the extra inning on second base as part of the Eastern League’s extra-innings rule beginning runners on second base during extra innings.
Baker’s record now stands at 1-2.
Following an off-day, the Fisher Cats welcome the Altoona Curve to Northeast Delta Dental Stadium on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. with Patrick Murphy (2-4, 3.35 ERA) facing Altoona’s Sean Brady (1-3, 9.00 ERA).
