BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — Jimmy Obertop delivered a clutch go-ahead two-run single in the fourth inning to break a 1-1 tie, propelling the Hartford Yard Goats to a 5-3 victory over the Somerset Patriots in their regular-season finale on Sunday afternoon at TD Bank Ballpark.

Backed by a strong collective performance on the mound from Sam Weatherly, Cade Denton, and Davis Palermo, the Yard Goats capped off the regular season on a high note before turning their attention to the postseason.

Early Back-and-Forth

After Somerset starter Michael Arias retired eight of the first nine batters he faced, Hartford struck first in the third inning against reliever Brady Kirtner. Kirtner issued back-to-back walks to Jared Thomas and Dyan Jorge, setting the stage for Andy Perez, who lined an RBI single to give Hartford a 1-0 lead.

The Patriots answered right back in the bottom of the frame. Roderick Arias drove in a run with a single off Hartford starter Sam Weatherly to knot the game at 1-1. Weatherly wrapped up his outing allowing one run on four hits with three strikeouts over 2.2 innings before handing the ball to Cade Denton, who struck out DJ Gladney to escape further third-inning damage.

Obertop Breaks It Open

Hartford retook the lead for good in the top of the fourth. Zach Kokoska set the table with a base hit, and GJ Hill followed with a perfectly placed bunt single. Obertop then stepped up and belted a clutch single into center field, plating both Kokoska and Hill to put the Yard Goats ahead 3-1.

Denton took control from there, retiring his first five batters faced—including a 1-2-3 fourth inning. Somerset managed to trim the deficit to 3-2 in the fifth when Roderick Arias brought home Jace Avina on an infield grounder, but Denton limited the damage to end the threat.

Denton came back firing in the sixth, striking out the side as part of a stretch where he retired eight of the final nine batters he faced through seven full innings. He earned the win after allowing just one run across 4.1 innings of work while racking up five strikeouts.

Securing the Finale

Hartford padded its lead in the seventh inning. Tevin Tucker kickstarted the frame with a leadoff hit to left field, advanced, and came around to score on an RBI single by Dyan Jorge to make it 4-2. Jared Thomas also sparked the offense throughout the afternoon, putting together a monster three-hit performance that included a single, double, and home run.

Somerset refused to go quietly, cutting the lead to 4-3 in the eighth inning on a bases-loaded walk by Miguel Palma. However, relief pitcher Davis Palermo entered and coaxed a flyout from Luis Durango to strand the runners. Palermo returned for a dominant, perfect ninth inning, striking out two to shut the door and earn the save.

Up Next: Postseason Baseball

With the regular season wrapped up, the Yard Goats head straight into the postseason. Hartford opens the best-of-three Eastern League Northeast Division Championship against the Reading Fightin Phils on Tuesday night at First Energy Stadium in Reading, Pennsylvania. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 PM.

The series then shifts back home to Dunkin’ Park for Game Two next Thursday, September 17th at 6:30 PM.

Fans can listen to Tuesday’s opener for free on the Audacy App, iHeartRadio app, and the official Yard Goats website, or stream the game live on MiLB.TV.

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