Sea Dogs fall to New Britain

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – Jeff Deardorff homered and drove in three runs to lead the New Britain Rock Cats to a 7-3 win over the Portland Sea Dogs Sunday in the Eastern League.

Deardorff, who was sent down from Triple-A to supply some pop in the New Britain lineup, drilled his first Double-A homer of the season with a runner aboard in the first inning off Eric Glaser (2-2). He also collected an RBI on a fielder’s choice grounder during New Britain’s three-run rally in the seventh inning.

New Britain (15-24) stole four bases in the inning, including Josh Rabe’s steal of home on the back end of a delayed double steal.

Kevin Hodge (3-4) earned the win with three perfect innings of middle relief.

Tony Schrager hit his second homer of the year for the Sea Dogs (22-16), who had won five straight series before falling to the Rock Cats three games to two. Tonayne Brown had three singles.

Rabe drove in two runs for New Britain. Jason Bartlett had two hits and scored twice.

On Saturday, Andy Dominique drove in a run in the first inning and another in the fourth to help the Sea Dogs beat the Rock Cats, 3-2, in the first game of a doubleheader. New Britain came back to win the second game 6-1.

With nobody on and two outs in the fourth inning in the first game, Rock Cat Jon Pridie (0-5) walked Kevin Youkilis and Justin Headley. He hit Kelly Shoppach and Dominique with successive pitches to break a 2-2 tie.

Dominique reached base in all four of his at-bats.

Shoppach had an RBI single in the third.

Junior Herndon (2-3) threw a complete-game six-hitter, settling down after yielding a two-run single to Brian Baron in the first inning.

Portland center fielder Jeremy Owens extended his hitting streak to 11 games with two bunt singles.

Headley also had two hits for the Sea Dogs, who stranded 13 runners in the seven-inning game.