AKRON, OH – Matt Oberste supplied three hits, including a tiebreaking single in the eighth, to lead the Binghamton Rumble Ponies to a series-clinching 3-2 win over the Akron RubberDucks on Wednesday afternoon at Canal Park. The Ponies claimed their fourth win in five games and stretched their lead to 2-1/2 games for the final playoff position in the Eastern Division.

After letting two separate one-run leads slip away, the Rumble Ponies grabbed their third lead in the eighth against Robbie Aviles. With the game tied at two, Champ Stuart opened the inning with an infield single to third and stole second, his 30th swipe of the season. Two batters later, Oberste brought him in by shooting a single to right.

Oberste’s tiebreaking hit capped a strong offensive afternoon for the Rumble Ponies designated hitter. In the first inning, he dashed home front first when Kevin Taylor zipped a triple to center. In the sixth, Oberste tripled to center, his team-leading fourth three-bagger of the season, and scampered home on a wild pitch.

Tim Peterson pitched a perfect eighth before handing a one-run lead to Cory Burns for the ninth. Akron put runners at the corners with two outs, but Burns fanned Tyler Krieger to lock down his 13th save of the season.

Peterson (4-3) allowed a run in the seventh in his second blown save of the season, but collected the win thanks to Binghamton’s eighth-inning tally. Corey Oswalt allowed one run on five hits and struck out seven over six innings, but took the no-decision.

Aviles (4-2) suffered the loss while Akron starter Luis Lugo tossed six innings in the no-decision.

The Rumble Ponies (56-44) return home to open a four-game series against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Thursday at 6:35 p.m. RHP Casey Delgado takes the mound for Binghamton. The Horizons Federal Credit Union Pregame Show can be heard starting at 6:20 p.m. on NewsRadio 1290 AM WNBF and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies channel on TuneIn.

POSTGAME NOTES: Binghamton improved to 19-15 in one-run games…Cory Burns has converted each of his last nine save chances…Matt Oberste registered his sixth three-hit game of the season...Champ Stuart is the 13th player in franchise history to steal 30 bases in a season; he is the first since Darrell Ceciliani (31, 2013)

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