Grant Lavigne Homers Twice, Reaches Base Four Times in Yard Goats' Loss
July 5, 2023 - Eastern League (EL)
Hartford Yard Goats News Release
Hartford, CT- Grant Lavigne launched two solo home runs and reached base safely four times, but the Yard Goats fell to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats 8-3 on Wednesday night at Dunkin' Park in Hartford. Hartford starter Case Williams had a strong outing as well, overwhelming the Fisher Cats at the plate and refusing to allow a base hit until the top of the fourth inning. He threw five innings and allowed just four hits and one run while striking out five Fisher Cats. Lavigne enjoyed his first two-homer game of the season and now has ten home runs.
Williams set the table by retiring the first six batters he faced, and Hartford's offense gave him some run support in the bottom of the second inning. Grant Lavigne led off the frame by crushing a 3-2 fastball over the left field fence for a solo blast. Two batters later, Bladimir Restituyo singled before stealing second base and advancing to third base on a passed ball, and Colin Simpson would immediately drive him in with a double to the right field corner. Heading into the third inning, the Yard Goats held onto a 2-0 advantage.
The Fisher Cats would get in the scoring column in the top of the fifth inning. Miguel Hiraldo singled in front of Riley Tirotta, who lined a base hit to right field to put runners on first and second base with one out. After Williams got New Hampshire's 9-hole hitter to strikeout, the lineup turned over, and Leo Jimenez doubled to left field to bring in Hiraldo and cut Hartford's lead to 2-1 after five innings.
In the top of the seventh inning, the Fisher Cats would steal the lead from the Yard Goats. A leadoff walk, followed by a hit batsman, put two men on with no outs for Jimenez, who pulled a 3-run home run to left field. Two batters later, Orelvis Martinez worked a walk before Will Robertson doubled him home to give the Fisher Cats a 5-2 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.
Hartford immediately got one back thanks to another towering shot from Lavigne. Leading off the bottom of the seventh inning, Lavigne ripped a thigh-high fastball over the tall wall in right field for his second home run of the game, thus hammering away at New Hampshire's lead and making it a 5-3 ballgame after seven frames.
The Fisher Cats put an abrupt end to Hartford's rally by adding three more runs in the top of the eighth inning on the backs of four hits, a walk, and a catcher's interference, thus extending their lead to 8-3.
The Yard Goats and New Hampshire Fisher Cats play the third game of a six-game series on Thursday night (7:10 PM) at Dunkin' Park. Joe Rock takes the hill for the Yard Goats after hurling five-and-a-third innings and striking out a franchise-high 12 batters in a no-decision effort against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in his last start. For New Hampshire, Adam Kloffenstein looks to capture his fifth win of the season. Tomorrow's game will be broadcast on AM 1410, FM 100.9 and on the iheart radio app.
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