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EL Reading Fightin Phils

Hunter Goodman Delivers Walk-Off Home Run for Hartford

May 4, 2023 - Eastern League (EL)
Reading Fightin Phils News Release


(Hartford, CT) - After two home runs last night, Hunter Goodman's dominance against Reading continued with a walk-off home run in Hartford's 5-4 win over the Fightin Phils on Thursday night.

Down 4-3, Grant Lavigne led off the bottom of the ninth with a walk against Reading reliever Max Kuhns. Then, Goodman wasted little time as he played hero with a ball crushed over the left-center field fence.

The Fightin Phils wasted zero time getting the scoring started. Carlos De La Cruz smoked a home run over the left-field fence. The ball left the bat at 110 miles per hour. Johan Rojas walked the next at-bat and then Ethan Wilson continued his torrid run with an opposite-field double that scored Rojas and put Reading up 2-0.

Like last night, the bats didn't stop after one inning. Max McDowell and Wendell Rijo singled on back-to-back at-bats to start the inning, then Madison Stokes roped a double to left-center field to score McDowell and increase Reading's lead to 3-0.

Hartford scratched a run across in the bottom of the second. In his first at-bat off the injured list, Zac Veen doubled and moved to third on a single from Ronaiker Palma. Colin Simpson was next and lined a single to right field to score Veen and make it a 3-1 Reading lead. But, Eddy Diaz grounded into an inning-ending double play, the second of which Hartford had hit into in the first two innings.

In the bottom of the third, Bladimir Rustituyo singled and the next at-bat, Kyle Datres cranked a home run that landed just inside the foul pole down the right-field line. Datres' second home run of the season knotted the game up at 3-3.

Reading turned a third double play, a new season-high, to finish off the bottom of the fifth inning. Datres shot a line-drive right back at Tyler Phillips, who snared it and threw over to first to complete the double play.

With the game tied 3-3, Reading threatened with two runners on in the top of the seventh. But, Hartford was able to retire Stokes on a flyout then De La Cruz on a strikeout to keep it a tied game moving to the bottom of the seventh.

Phillips' day came to an end after six innings. It was a quality start for Phillips, as he threw a season-high in innings, allowing three earned runs, one walk, and striking out four Yard Goats' hitters. Mike Ruff turned in a quality 6.1 innings for Hartford tonight. Ruff allowed three earned runs and sent eight Fightin Phils down on strikes. Neither pitcher would factor into the decision tonight.

Rojas led off the eighth with a single to left. He then swiped second and also took third after the throw from the catcher went into center field. With Rojas on third, Wilson smacked his second hit of the night, this time off the right-field wall to score Rojas and put Reading up 4-3. Hartford worked out of a bases-loaded jam to keep it a one-run deficit.

Andrew Schultz and Keylan Killgore combined to shut down the Hartford bats out of the bullpen in the seventh and eighth innings respectively to maintain the Reading lead heading into the ninth, where Kuhns surrendered two runs as Hartford picked up a dramatic victory.

Dugan Darnell earned the win for Hartford to improve to 2-1 on the season, while Kuhns suffered the loss to drop to 0-2 for Reading.

After snapping a three-game winning streak, the Fightin Phils fall to 8-15 on the season, while Hartford improves to 12-10 on the season. The teams return to action for game four of this week's six-game series at 7:10 PM Friday night. RHP Mick Abel gets the start for Reading and he will go opposite RHP Andrew Quezada for Hartford. You can watch the action on MiLB TV or the Bally Live App.

Reading returns home Tuesday, May 9, at 11 a.m. as the Fightin Phils welcome the New Hampshire Fisher Cats to FirstEnergy Stadium. Tickets to all games are still available and can be purchased at rphils.com/tickets, by calling 610-370-BALL or in person at the Customers Bank Ticket Office.

The 2023 R-Phils season is presented by Pepsi. Follow the Fightin Phils on Twitter @ReadingFightins, like us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram @Fightins.

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