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AtL Somerset Patriots

Kirsten Baffles Bluefish To Even Up Series

September 11, 2010 - Atlantic League (AtL)
Somerset Patriots News Release


Bridgeport, CT - In his third career regular season start for Somerset, Joel Kirsten dazzled with 7.0 innings of four-hit, shutout baseball to propel the Patriots to an 8-1 victory over the Bridgeport Bluefish on Saturday night at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard.

Kirsten (1-0), who has playoff starts than regular season outings for the Patriots, earned his first ever Patriots victory. The southpaw took a no-hitter into the 5th inning before Joe Jiannetti grounded a seeing-eye single to right. Kirsten, who spent all season with the Fort Worth Cats of the American Association, allowed just three hits the rest of the way while striking out three without a walk, using just 77 pitches.

Kirsten immediately entered the game with a lead as Somerset beat long-time Major Leauger Esteban Yan. Yan (3-1) did not get much help from his defense after Jiannetti committed a 1st-inning error allowing Jeff Nettles to score what turned out to be the winning run. Joe Burke built on his career season driving in two in the 2nd. Nettles struck again in the 6th after Jiannetti and Tom Pennino committed back-to-back errors to load the bases. Nettles made the Bluefish pay with a grand slam blast to left putting the Patriots up 7-0. Yan tossed 6.0 innings, yielding nine hits and seven runs, only two of which were earned.

Elliott Ayala added an RBI in the 7th off Paul Oseguera while Jeff Kennard was charged with an unearned run in the 9th before Andrew Dobies got the final two outs unscathed. Iggy Suarez went 3-4 with a double as the Patriots won their 24th game in 31 tries.

Somerset (36-27, 72-61) inches closer to a playoff berth as the Patriots and Bridgeport (43-20, 79-54) play the rubber game of the series on Sunday afternoon with a pair of left-handers on the hill. Brian Adams (3-3, 3.26) takes on Luis Gonzales (8-3, 3.61) at 2:00 pm with coverage on 1450 WCTC-AM and www.wctcam.com.

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