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Matt Sauer Sets Patriots Single-Game Strikeout Record

Official Somerset Patriots Press Release/Steven Cusumano Bridgewater, NJ — Somerset Patriots pitcher Matt Sauer struck out a franchise-record 17 batters in a 4-3 extra innings loss (71-45) to the New…

Matt Sauer

Official Somerset Patriots Press Release/Steven Cusumano

Bridgewater, NJ -- Somerset Patriots pitcher Matt Sauer struck out a franchise-record 17 batters in a 4-3 extra innings loss (71-45) to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (51-66) on Thursday night at TD Bank Ballpark.

Sauer's 17 punch outs are the most by any Patriots pitcher in franchise history, including in the team's Atlantic League era. The 17 strikeouts were also the most of any full-season MLB or MiLB pitcher in 2022.

The game began with five perfect innings for Sauer, who left after a career-high eight innings with a 2-1 lead in tact.

Sauer's bid for a perfect game came to an end on the first pitch of the sixth inning, when Sebastian Espino (12) hit a solo home run to cut into Somerset's two-run lead.

https://twitter.com/SOMPatriots/status/1562998434353025029?s=20&t=aeWnNWP2K4RjqsRXDOGJmg

Everson Pereira (4) gave Sauer and the Patriots the lead on a two-run home run with two outs in the third inning. Pereira ended the day with his seventh multi-hit game at the Double-A level.

After Sauer left the game, Carson Coleman was tagged with his second blown save of the season, allowing a run in the top of the ninth inning. The inning ended on a home run-robbing catch in center field by Pereira that preserved the 2-2 tie and sent the game to extra innings.

Espino struck again for the Fisher Cats with a one-out, two-run single that gave New Hampshire the game's decisive runs. Steven Jennings (3-3) was tagged for the loss, while Jimmy Burnette (4-3) earned the win.

Jennings struck out Cam Eden for the second out in the 10th inning, matching Somerset's franchise record with the Patriots' 20th strikeout of the night--their most in a game as the Yankees' Double-A affiliate.

Max Burt laced an RBI-single to give the Patriots' the game's final run in the bottom of the 10th, but Somerset ultimately wound up having its three-game win streak snapped, 4-3.

The loss marked Somerset's eighth extra innings defeat of the season, falling to 4-8 in such games.

The 2022 Somerset Patriots Season presented by Ford will continue at home on Friday night with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at TD Bank Ballpark.

Blue Jays No. 2 prospect LHP Ricky Tiedemann (No. 34 overall MiLB prospect) will get the start for New Hampshire, opposite Yankees No. 16 prospect RHP Randy Vasquez for Somerset.

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.