READING, PA – Binghamton starter Chris Flexen carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning to lead the Rumble Ponies past the Reading Fightin Phils, 6-1, on Thursday night at FirstEnergy Stadium. Chace Numata’s home run with one out in the eighth ended Flexen’s shot at history and proved to be Reading’s only hit of the night. Flexen struck out nine over eight innings to earn his fifth win in six games.

Flexen made quick work of the Fightin Phils, opening his sixth career Double-A start with two perfect innings. The righty walked Numata on four pitches to start the third, but bounced back to keep Reading off the board and out of the hit column.

Eleven straight Fightin Phils were set down by Flexen before Zach Coppola skipped a chopper to third with two outs in the sixth inning. David Thompson failed to cleanly field the bouncer and was slapped with the error.

The no-hit bid lasted into the eighth. After Flexen struck out Mitch Walding to open the frame, Numata blasted a 2-1 pitch over the right-field wall. Flexen recovered from the long ball and retired the next two Fightins to close his night.

Scarlyn Reyes closed Binghamton’s pitching tab with a blank ninth inning, sealing Binghamton’s second one-hitter of the season.

Offensively, the Ponies showed no signs of rust after waiting through a rain delay of one hour, fifty minutes. In the first, Matt Oberste put Binghamton on the board with an RBI double and Kevin Kaczmarski added a two-out RBI single off starter Tyler Viza. Thompson tacked on by threading a solo homer inside the left-field foul pole in the third.

Binghamton stretched their lead with a three-run fifth inning. Kaczmarski delivered again with two outs, stroking a two-run single into left field. LJ Mazzilli followed by depositing an RBI double down the right-field line.

Flexen (5-1) tossed a season-high 108 pitches and struck out nine to earn his second straight win.

Viza (6-6) allowed six runs on seven hits over five innings in the loss.

The Rumble Ponies (47-38) continue their four-game visit to Reading on Friday at 7:05 p.m. RHP Mickey Jannis toes the rubber against RHP Ranfi Casimiro. The Horizons Federal Credit Union Pregame Show can be heard starting at 6:50 p.m. on News Radio 1290 WNBF and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies channel on TuneIn.

POSTGAME NOTES: It was Binghamton’s first nine-inning one-hitter since Gabriel Ynoa one-hit the Erie SeaWolves on July 2, 2015…Binghamton has five no-hitters in franchise history with the most recent thrown by Miguel Pinango on July 23, 2006…it was the second time as a Rumble Pony Flexen has allowed a home run as his only hit surrendered (June 29 @ Hartford)

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