It had become apparent to the Somerset Patriots -- gradually, sure, but certainly over recent times -- that they'd been written off.

Mathematically still in the wild card race, they'd heard that they had no chance too many times. That the season was over. That they shouldn't even bother playing the last few weeks.

Those in the clubhouse could have bought into that. Easily. Could have let the outside noise affect them. Could have folded.

Instead, they chose Tuesday night to send a message. An 11-5 win over a playoff-bound Sugar Land Skeeters club did just that.

"Whoever is talking, or whatever they're saying, the only people that I really care about are the guys in there," said third baseman Will Kengor, who went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and a no-doubt homer.

"The coaching staff and the guys in there are the ones who have had my back, and I'm going to have theirs. Past that, we're just going to go out there and play. I think our hard work all year speaks for itself. Wins and losses aren't the only way to measure a season, and I think that in that clubhouse, there's a lot of really great people. You can't judge everything based on L's and W's."

That's the job in this space, at least for the most part anyway, but he's right. Games like Tuesday night are exactly why.

As we covered, Somerset could have easily packed it in against a Skeeters team that's long since sealed their fate of heading to the postseason, but it was evident early on that they were doing anything but. Olmo Rosario delivered a long, solo home run that third base umpire Joe Cruz initially somehow lost and ruled foul to give Somerset a 1-0 lead in the first inning, another example of how he's served as the kind of spark plug this offense has needed.

He's also emerged as a clubhouse leader during his brief return to Bridgewater.

"The last game that we'd lost, I said that I'd played in three games, and in three games, we'd scored like four runs, I think," Rosario told team broadcaster Marc Schwartz on-air after tonight's win.

"So, we had to do something. I told everybody that, if we're going to stay here, we have to play hard. If you don't, tomorrow is my son's birthday, and I can be with my son tomorrow. I told them we have to keep it up and try to do better."

Rosario went 2-for-3 on Tuesday night, and has led by example, not only with his play, but with his effort; the 39-year-old still busts his tail out of the batter's box every time.

"I love his positive energy, and I like what he brings," said manager Brett Jodie. "He's a presence in there, and he started us off right away with a home run early just to put one up on the board. He's always talking positively, he wants to come up in situations to drive in runs and he comes through a lot of times. He's a tough out, he always has been. He's almost 40 years old and he's hit for all of his life, but he hustles on everything, he's tough and he's just the type of guy you want. A lot of times, in a lineup like this, you just need another guy or two to do that. It can be the people you have, as long as they start feeling sexy. Or, you add a guy like that with a veteran presence like that, it can do a lot too. He adds a lot, and we knew he would. We love having him around."

As they should.

Truth be told, however, this was a complete team win, the type of victory that's been lacking in Somerset for far, far too long. Every Patriots starter had at least one hit except one, Jimmy Paredes, and even he contributed with two RBI on the night.

The pitching? Sure, it could have been better -- Zack Dodson allowed three runs after battling through five innings, and the bullpen quartet of James Pugliese, Luis Cruz, Stephen Perakslis and Duane Below had a few hiccups -- but it's certainly been worse on nights where they couldn't afford it to be.

Tonight was different, thanks to the offense putting up an 11-spot; five of those runs came in the fifth inning, with the big blow coming on a clutch, bases-loaded triple by Edwin Espinal in which he turned in a great at-bat to fight off several two-out, two-strike pitches and break the game wide open.

So, write Somerset off? Do it at your own risk. The Patriots are six games back of the High Point Rockers with 12 games left to play, a seemingly impossible task.

But, impossible to who? Evidently, not them.

"We're all professionals, and everybody in there is playing for the Somerset Patriots, but everybody in there is playing for their own career. I think people forget that sometimes," Kengor said.

"We want to win for the Patriots, and we do everything we can for that organization -- the ownership, whether they recognize that or not, that's not really our concern -- so I go out there every day with Patriots stuff on, but everyone in there is also playing for their own career, and that's why we've got a bunch of professionals in there who show up every day. Whether we're 50 games up or 50 games back, everyone in there is trying to get better every day for themselves."

Monday's annual golf outing, one that was certainly still on the tip of the tongue of many, seems to have galvanized a club that maybe, just maybe, needed something just like that.

"We need a golf outing every day now," Jodie cracked. "Maybe we'll get a scramble going in the morning. In the past, we've had guys struggle after that with their swings, but who knows, maybe it got us back on track."

Mike Ashmore, mashmore98 AT

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Mike Ashmore, Bridgewater | 7:32 PM Sep 7, 2019