Somerset Patriots Series Recap Vs New Hampshire Fisher Cats 7/21 - 7/26

---

The Somerset Patriots could not have asked for a much better response after dropping the opening game of their series against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

Following Wednesday’s 7-4 loss, Somerset rattled off five consecutive victories to take five of six at Delta Dental Stadium. It marked the Patriots’ first series victory since taking five of six from Binghamton in mid-June and gave the club its longest winning streak of the second half.

Somerset finished the series with 72 hits and outscored New Hampshire 47-23. The Patriots did not simply rely on one or two hitters, either. Production came from throughout the lineup, while the starting rotation continued one of its strongest stretches of the season.

Patriots Quickly Put Opening Loss Behind Them

Somerset collected 10 hits and hit two home runs in Wednesday’s opener, but New Hampshire broke a 3-3 tie with four runs in the eighth inning to pull away for a 7-4 victory.

DJ Gladney and Josh Moylan supplied the power in the loss. Gladney launched his 16th home run of the season in the second inning, while Moylan added his fourth homer with Somerset in the fourth. Jace Avina finished with three hits, and Coby Morales recorded another multi-hit performance, but the Patriots left 11 runners on base and could not deliver the decisive hit late.

That would be the final time Somerset lost all week.

The Patriots immediately responded by sweeping Thursday’s doubleheader, winning the opener 9-3 before taking Game 2 by an 8-3 score. It was the first time Somerset had swept a doubleheader this season.

Somerset broke open Game 1 with three runs in the fourth inning and four more in the fifth. In Game 2, the Patriots used three home runs to pull away, including two during a four-run sixth inning. Connor McGinnis, Cole Gabrielson and Morales all went deep, while Gladney homered in the opening game and finished the doubleheader with five RBI.

Owen Cobb also delivered one of his best days of the season, collecting five hits across the two games. His production helped Somerset receive contributions from nearly every part of the lineup rather than depending exclusively on the middle of the order.

Offense Overwhelms New Hampshire

Thursday’s doubleheader set the tone for the rest of the series.

Somerset collected 15 hits in Friday’s 5-4 victory, with each of the first five hitters in the lineup recording multiple hits. The game remained tied entering the ninth inning before the Patriots strung together four consecutive one-out hits and scored three runs.

Avina opened the scoring with his 18th home run of the season and later doubled before scoring the go-ahead run in the ninth. Morales finished with three hits, while Gladney added three hits, an RBI and a stolen base. Jackson Castillo and Gabrielson each drove in runs during the ninth-inning rally, with Gabrielson’s sacrifice fly providing the eventual winning run.

The Patriots kept rolling Saturday, scoring multiple runs in four different innings during a 9-4 victory that officially secured the series.

Gladney wasted little time making an impact, launching a two-run home run in the first inning. He finished 3-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored, continuing what became one of his best stretches of the season. Tomas Frick added three hits and his first home run of the year, while Gabrielson, Cobb and Josh Moylan also contributed.

Somerset finished Saturday with 14 hits, marking its second consecutive game with at least 14. The Patriots also homered for the sixth straight game, continuing to show why they have been one of the most dangerous power-hitting teams in Double-A this season.

Gladney Earns Eastern League Player of the Week

DJ Gladney’s dominant series did not go unnoticed as he was named the Eastern League Player of the Week for games played from July 21 through July 26.

 The Somerset outfielder hit .462, going 12-for-26 with three home runs, five extra-base hits and 10 RBI against New Hampshire. His 12 hits led all Double-A players, while his 10 RBI led the Eastern League and ranked second across Double-A.

Gladney homered in each of the first three games of the series, including a two-run shot in the opening inning of Saturday’s victory. He finished that game with three hits, three RBI and three runs scored before adding two more hits in Sunday’s finale.

He closed the series with three consecutive multi-hit performances and extended his hitting streak to seven games. Over that stretch, Gladney went 13-for-30 with three home runs, 10 RBI, five extra-base hits, three stolen bases and eight runs scored.

The award was the first weekly honor of Gladney’s professional career and made him the fourth individual Patriot to receive an Eastern League weekly award this season, joining Jace Avina, Coby Morales and Xavier Rivas.

Gladney has become one of Somerset’s most consistent run producers this season. His 18 home runs are tied for the lead among active Patriots, while his 64 RBI rank third in the Eastern League and are tied for third in the Yankees organization. After driving the offense throughout the series, he was an easy choice as the league’s top player of the week.

Palma Powers the Finale

Somerset saved its most complete performance for Sunday.

The Patriots pounded out 16 hits and cruised to a 12-2 win, finishing the series on a five-game winning streak. All nine starters reached base, eight recorded at least one hit and six scored a run.

Miguel Palma led the way with the second two-home run game of his career. He opened the scoring with a solo shot in the second inning before adding a three-run homer in the seventh. Palma finished with three hits, four RBI and three runs scored.

Moylan recorded the first four-hit game of his professional career, while Morales and Gladney added two hits apiece. Kevin Verde provided the exclamation point with a grand slam in the ninth inning, giving him a career-high five RBI and giving Somerset its Eastern League-leading seventh grand slam of the season.

The 16-hit performance gave Somerset at least 14 hits for the third consecutive game. Across the final three games of the series, the Patriots collected 45 hits while hitting six home runs and producing 12 extra-base hits.

Rotation Continues Impressive Run

The offense received most of the attention, but Somerset’s starting pitching was just as important.

Xavier Rivas delivered another dominant outing in the first game of Thursday’s doubleheader, allowing one hit and one run while striking out seven over five innings. Since the beginning of June, Rivas has established himself as one of the most difficult pitchers to hit in Minor League Baseball.

Jack Cebert followed with five scoreless innings Friday, allowing only two hits and striking out seven. It was Cebert’s second consecutive scoreless outing and extended his scoreless streak to 10.1 innings.

Chase Hampton continued his return Saturday by throwing a season-high 73 pitches and striking out six over 4.1 innings. Ben Hess then closed the series with 5.1 strong innings Sunday, allowing two unearned runs and striking out seven. Hess opened his outing with 3.2 no-hit innings and has now completed at least five innings in three consecutive starts.

The bullpen also handled several important situations. Hayden Merda escaped a bases-loaded jam Saturday with consecutive strikeouts, while Tony Rossi closed out Friday’s one-run victory.

Somerset Builds Much-Needed Momentum

Somerset entered the series looking for consistency after an uneven start to the second half. By the end of the week, the Patriots looked like one of the hottest teams in the Eastern League.

They won close games, pulled away in high-scoring games and received production from nearly every part of the roster. Gladney remained one of the league’s most productive hitters, Morales continued reaching base, and players such as Moylan, Palma, Cobb and Gabrielson gave the lineup additional depth.

The Patriots will need to prove this performance can carry into the next series, but taking five of six on the road was a major step forward. For the first time in several weeks, Somerset appears to be playing complete baseball and building momentum on both sides of the ball.

---

Every Prospect. Every Level. Every Day.