2022 Eastern League Champions! (Recap)

The Somerset Patriots NO-HIT the Erie SeaWolves to win the Eastern League Championship by a score of 15-0! Here's the series recap:

Game One:

Saturday, September 24th, 2022 - UMPC Park (Erie, PA)

Winning Pitcher: Elvis Alvarado

Losing Pitcher: Aaron McGarity

Save: Gerson Moreno

Home Runs (Somerset): None Home Runs (Erie): Parker Meadows, Gage Workman

The best-of-three series was started off with a Trey Sweeney single for the Somerset Patriots, though the early baserunner was unable to be brought home. In the second inning, the Patriots got another baserunner via an Elijah Dunham walk (and a stolen base to second), though 2 strikeouts around a pop out ended the threat. In that 2nd inning alone, 5 of the 6 outs across both teams came from strikeouts. Somerset would continue to threaten in the third inning and place across the first runs on the game via a 2-RBI double from Austin Wells.

Over the next two innings, the SeaWolves mounted their comeback, scoring runs the easy way: a solo HR in the 4th from Parker Meadows and a 2-run HR in the 5th from Gage Workman to bring the score to 3-2 SeaWolves. The Patriots quickly recovered and scored 3 runs off of 4 hits (including a Tyler Hardman 2-RBI double) in the 6th inning. However, the new lead lasted less than an inning as the SeaWolves worked the bases loaded and scored 2 of their own off a Gage Workman 2-RBI single in the bottom half of the 6th to tie the game at 5 apiece.

The SeaWolves captured the lead again in the 7th inning, scoring Jon Rosoff after his lead-off single with a Parker Meadows single, which was unfortunately helped by a Jasson Dominguez fielding error. This would end up being the winning run as both teams failed to score through the remaining 2 innings of play.

Both the Patriots and SeaWolves used 5 pitchers to get through the game, with the SeaWolves having a much worse start but a great 1-2-3 combo between Elvis Alvarado (W), Andrew Magno (H), and Gerson Moreno (S) pitching the final 3.1 innings to just 1 hit and getting 7 strikeouts.

Game Two:

Tuesday, September 26th, 2022 - TD Bank Ballpark (Somerset, NJ)

Winning Pitcher: Yoendrys Gomez

Losing Pitcher: Chance Kirby Home Runs (Erie): Corey Joyce

Home Runs (Somerset): Austin Wells, Jasson Dominguez, Elijah Dunham

Now playing in Somerset, the Patriots started Game 2 by getting on the board early and often. Trey Sweeney again started the offense with a lead-off hit (this time a double) before Jasson Dominguez collected a single of his own before Austin Wells plated the first 3 runs of the game with a line-drive HR to right field. A walk and single would then allow Jesus Bastidas to score the 4th run of the inning (Andres Chaparro) via a sacrifice fly. The SeaWolves then bit into the lead with a 2-run HR of their own from Corey Joyce, but the Patriots responded with another 4 run inning- courtesy of two 2-run HR's from Jasson Dominguez (also scoring Brandon Lockridge) and Elijah Dunham (also scoring Austin Wells).

It then then the time for the pitching to take over for the game on both sides. For the Patriots, Yoendrys Gomez pitched a solid 5 innings while allowing just 2 runs off 2 hits and a walk around 6 strikeouts. The Patriots would effectively knock the SeaWolves second pitcher out of the game after the 4th inning after they plated their 9th run across via an Andres Chaparro RBI double to score Austin Wells. However, Dario Gardea ad Billy Lescher would finish the final 4 innings for the SeaWolves and allow just 2 hits and a walk around 3 strikeouts between the two of them.

For the Patriots, they went with a combo of Barrett Loseke (6th and 7th), Emmanuel Ramirez (8th) and Carlos Espinal (9th) to finish out the game after Yoendrys Gomez was removed. Combined between the three of them, they allowed just 2 hits and a walk around 7 strikeouts. It was a very good win to even the series at 1 game each by getting ahead early, fighting back after the SeaWolves started to mount a comeback, and shutting the SeaWolves down after that.

Game Three:

Wednesday, September 27th, 2022 - TD Bank Ballpark (Somerset, NJ)

Winning Pitcher: Randy Vasquez

Losing Pitcher: Ty Madden

Home Runs (Erie): None

Home Runs (Somerset): Jasson Dominguez 2 (3), Andres Chaparro, Jeisson Rosario

It's hard to say which was the bigger moment of Game 3, but in an effort to release any budding suspense I'll break the news to you easily.

Randy Vasquez pitched 8 no-hit innings with 8 strikeouts (as Carson Coleman pitched a perfect 9th inning with a strikeout) to keep the SeaWolves from making any threat in Game 3. At the same time, Yankees premier prospect Jasson Dominguez went 3-4 with 2 home-runs (from both sides of the plate) while plating 6 runs of his own as the offense scored 15 (!) total. It was an all-around rout from the Patriots onto the SeaWolves.

In the 1st inning alone, the Patriots scored 9 runs. In the 3rd inning alone, the Patriots hit 3 home runs. It's almost an injustice to write about those innings in paragraph form as it undersells how much work they did. So, here are the 1st and 3rd innings as bullet-points:

Bottom of the 1st Inning:

1. Trey Sweeney - Walked

2. Jasson Dominguez - Single; Sweeney to 2nd

3. Austin Wells - Reached via Fielders Choice; Sweeny scores (1-0, Patriots); Dominguez out at 2nd

4. Andres Chaparro - Single; Wells to 3rd *ERIE PITCHING CHANGE*

5. Elijah Dunham - Walk; Chapparo to 2nd

6. Jeisson Rosario - Reached via Fielders Choice; Wells out at home; Chaparro to 3rd, Dunham to 2nd

7. Jesus Bastidas - Single; Chaparro & Dunham score (3-0, Patriots); Rosario to 2nd

8. Mickey Gasper - Double; Rossario & Bastidas score (5-0, Patriots)

9. Brandon Lockridge - Walk; Gasper to 3rd on Wild Pitch

10. Trey Sweeney - Reached via Error; Gasper scores (6-0, Patriots); Lockridge to 3rd

11. Jasson Dominguez - Home Run; Lockridge & Sweeney score (9-0, Patriots)

12. Austin Wells - Strikeout Swinging

Bottom of the 3rd Inning:

1. Brandon Lockridge - Single (+ Stole 2nd)

2. Trey Sweeney - Groundout; Lockridge to 3rd

3. Jasson Dominguez - Home Run; Lockridge scores (11-0, Patriots)

4. Austin Wells - Flyout

5. Andres Chaparro - Home Run (12-0, Patriots) *ERIE PITCHING CHANGE*

6. Elijah Dunham - Single

7. Jeisson Rosario - Home Run; Dunham scores (14-0, Patriots)

8. Jesus Bastidas - Flyout

What a game.

Congratulations to the Somerset Patriots on a great season!