Jake Brooks Strikes out Nine, Kokoska Homers in Yard Goats Opening Night Loss

The Hartford Yard Goats fell to the Chesapeake Baysox by the score of 7-4 on Opening night at Dunkin’ Park in Hartford. Yard Goats starter Jake Brooks made his debut in Hartford and had nine strikeouts in five scoreless innings. The Yard Goats fell behind 3-1 and Zach Kokoska cranked a two-run homer to tie the game in the seventh inning. The Baysox scored four runs in the 8^th inning en-route to the win. The Yard Goats had the potential winning run on base when the game ended.

The Yard Goats scored the first run of the game in the fourth inning against Baysox starter Trace Bright. Benny Montgomery smashed a two-out single to center field, scoring Braylen Wimmer and giving Hartford a 1-0 lead.

The Baysox answered against reliever Blake Adams in the top of the sixth inning when Thomas Sosa tripled, bringing in Ethan Anderson and Griff O’Ferrall giving Chesapeake a 2-1 lead. Carter Young’s RBI single made it a 3-1 game.

Zach Kokoska hit the reset button at the bottom of the 7th with a two-run home run to make the score 3-3. The long blast into the right field second deck was his 33^rd career home run as a Yard Goat.

The Baysox took a 5-3 lead with on Thomas Sosa’s two run homer in the eighth inning against reliever Sam Weatherly. The Orioles affiliate added two more runs on a pair of bases loaded walks and it was 7-3.

The Yard Goats made it a 7-4 game in the ninth inning on Braylen Wimmer’s sacrifice fly, scoring Kokoska. Hartford had the bases loaded when reliever Gerald Ogando retired Bryant Betancournt on a grounder to end the game.

The Yard Goats and Chesapeake Baysox continue the three game series on Friday night at 7:10. The game will be broadcasts on NESN+ and on the free audacy app.