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Patriots Bats Explode in Sweep of Phils

Official Somerset Patriots Press Release Bridgewater, NJ – For a third consecutive game, the Somerset Patriots (12-9, 56-34) came back to defeat the Reading Fightin Phils (11-10, 40-50) by a…

Austin Wells

Austin Wells Celebrates hitting a solo home run in the Patriots 7-4 win over Reading. July 24, 2022. Photo: Somerset Patriots.

Official Somerset Patriots Press Release

Bridgewater, NJ – For a third consecutive game, the Somerset Patriots (12-9, 56-34) came back to defeat the Reading Fightin Phils (11-10, 40-50) by a final score of 7–4 at TD Bank Ballpark on Sunday evening. 

Trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh, Everson Pereira (1) blasted a solo shot to right field and was immediately followed by an Austin Wells (1) two-run home run. It was the pair’s first Double-A home runs.  

Rodolfo Duran got the scoring started in the bottom of the second on an RBI double that scored Brandon Lockridge and put Somerset up 1-0.  

Reading later took the lead in the top of the fifth with Sal Gozzo and Simon Muzziotti RBI singles that gave the Fightin Phils a 2-1 lead.  

Max Burt (9) then evened the score in the bottom of the inning on a solo home run to left field. With the homer, Burt set a career high of home runs in a season. 

The Patriots then got back out in front 3-2 the following inning as Lockridge crossed home on a double play. 

Reading regained the lead in the top of the seventh as Vito Friscia lined a two-run single to left field and made it 4-3. 

Up 6-4 in the eighth, Duran (4) struck again with a two-run homer to left field to plate Jesus Bastidas. The 24-year-old batted 2-for-4 with two RBI on the day.  

Tanner Myatt (1-0) struck out two batters and allowed two earned runs in 1.1 innings to earn the win. Trevor Bettencourt (0-1) gave up two earned runs through two frames of work in the loss.  Carson Coleman (8) registered his second save of the series with a scoreless ninth inning and three strikeouts. 

The 2022 Somerset Patriots season presented by Ford will continue on the road on Tuesday, July 26 with a 6:35 pm game against the Richmond Flying Squirrels (San Francisco Giants) at The Diamond. 

Michael Cohen is the News and Sports Director at Fox Sports Radio New Jersey and Magic 98.3 FM, as well as a radio production assistant with Fox and Magic in New Jersey. He started his career in Somerset in 2018 initially as a news fill-in at WCTC 1450 AM, and soon moved up to higher responsibilities in the ensuing years, assuming News & Sports Director title in 2021Prior to his time with Fox Sports New Jersey, Michael was play-by-play voice for New Jersey Jackals baseball, and as well as play-by-play and color for the College of Staten Island basketball (men and women), softball and baseball. Michael began his career as a news and sportswriter with the Jersey Journal of Hudson County.