ALTOONA, PA – Chris Flexen fired seven strong innings and supplied two hits of his own to power the Binghamton Rumble Ponies past the Altoona Curve, 4-3, on Wednesday night at Peoples Natural Gas Field. Binghamton racked up ten hits to claim their league-leading 17th one-run win of the season.

The Rumble Ponies packed their run production into the first three innings against Curve starter JT Brubaker. Matt Oberste put Binghamton on the board with a two-out RBI single in the first. LJ Mazzilli followed by pulling a two-run double down the left-field line, plating Chris Flexen and Luis Guillorme. Tomas Nido capped the Ponies offensive attack with an RBI single in the third.

Flexen held the Curve to one run through his first five innings. After Jerrick Suiter led off the second inning with his fifth homer of the season, Flexen responded by retiring 11 of the next 13 batters he faced.

Altoona ended Flexen’s roll by putting two about in the sixth on a walk and an error. Edwin Espinal floated an RBI single to left-center and Jerrick Suiter cut the lead to one with an RBI infield single to short. Flexen diffused a bases-loaded threat by getting Wyatt Mathisen to skip into an inning-ending double play to third.

Flexen returned to toss a scoreless seventh before Tim Peterson fired a perfect eighth. Altoona put two aboard in the ninth against Cory Burns, but the righty slammed the door to earn his ninth save of the season.

Flexen (4-1) allowed three runs on six hits over seven innings to earn this third win in as many starts. The righty logged seven innings for the third time as a Rumble Pony.

The Rumble Ponies (45-35) conclude their only regular season visit to Altoona with a rubber game on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. RHP Mickey Jannis takes the mound against RHP Alex McRae. The Horizons Federal Credit Union Pregame Show can be heard starting at 6:45 p.m. on News Radio 1290 WNBF and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies channel on TuneIn.

POSTGAME NOTES: Chris Flexen had faced 121 straight batters without issuing a walk before issuing a free pass to Pablo Reyes in the first inning…four Altoona relievers combined to toss six scoreless innings…Binghamton improved to 17-12 in games decided by one run

Tickets for Binghamton’s entire home schedule can be purchased at the NYSEG Stadium box office, online on www.bingrp.com and over the phone at (607) 722-FUNN.

 

– Submitted