AKRON, OH – Binghamton starter Mickey Jannis tossed his first career shutout to help the Binghamton Rumble Ponies split a doubleheader against the Akron RubberDucks on Tuesday night. The Ponies dropped the opener, 1-0, in a nine-inning walk-off before Jannis struck out nine, a career-high in affiliated ball, in a 6-0 nightcap victory.

Game 1 – Akron 1, Binghamton 0 (9 innings)

Eric Haase opened the ninth by pulling a single to left against Corey Taylor. He scampered to second on a fly out to center and moved to third when Yu Chang poked a single into right. Haase tagged at third and raced for the plate on Krieger’s fly ball to center. Patrick Biondi made the catch, but his throw home tailed up the third-base line, allowing Haase to slide in safely with the winning run.

Akron slipped past Binghamton after silencing the Rumble Ponies offense. Binghamton’s first ten batters combined for five hits against starter Shane Bieber, but mustered nothing after the third inning. Bieber and Cameron Hill combined to retire 21 of the final 22 Rumble Ponies hitters, handing Binghamton their sixth shutout loss of the season.

Bieber stepped around five hits and one walk over 6-2/3 scoreless innings in his Double-A debut. Hill (4-4) fired 2-1/3 perfect innings of relief to collect the win.

Marcos Molina returned from the disabled list with his finest effort as a Rumble Pony. The righty struck out a season-high nine and allowed only three singles over six scoreless innings. Taylor (5-5) suffered the defeat.

Game 2 – Binghamton 6, Akron 0

Jannis opened his 106th career start by allowing a single to Greg Allen. It proved to be one of only four hits the knuckleballer would surrender. He stranded the RubberDucks leadoff hitter in the first thanks to a slick double play turned by shortstop Luis Guillorme and left two more aboard over his next two innings.

Heading into the fourth with a one-run lead, the Rumble Ponies kicked their offense into gear against Tanner Tully. David Thompson opened Binghamton’s hit parade with a single to short. Gustavo Nunez followed with a double down the left-field line and Dale Burdick brought both runners in by pelting the left-field wall with another two-bagger. Champ Stuart kept the roll going with an RBI double of his own.

Guillorme had a hand in all three run-scoring innings for Binghamton. He put the Ponies on the board in the third by dragging an RBI bunt single down the first base line. He capped Binghamton’s four-run fourth with a sacrifice fly and added another run with a groundout in the sixth.

From the third into the seventh, Jannis settled into cruise control. Starting with Yu Chang’s groundout, the Ponies starter set down 12 straight hitters, collecting five strikeouts during the clip. Tyler Krieger ended the streak with a two-out triple in the seventh. Jannis rebounded to fan Luigi Rodriguez, sealing Binghamton’s 14th shutout of the season.

Jannis (7-5) scattered four hits and issued just one walk over seven blank innings in his second career complete game. Tully (1-1) was touched for six runs on ten hits over five innings in the loss.

The Rumble Ponies (55-44) conclude their visit to Akron on Wednesday at 12:05 p.m. RHP Corey Oswalt takes the mound against LHP Luis Lugo. The Horizons Federal Credit Union Pregame Show can be heard starting at 11:50 a.m. on CBS Sports Radio 1360 AM WYOS and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies channel on TuneIn.

POSTGAME NOTES: Binghamton’s loss in the opener was their fourth walk-off defeat of the season and third 1-0 loss in 2017…Mickey Jannis completed the shutout in his 42nd start with Binghamton…Jannis’ gem was the sixth solo shutout tossed by a Binghamton pitcher this season, the most in one season since 1992 (9)

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