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 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.