BINGHAMTON, NY – Anthony Alford blasted a game-tying home run in the ninth inning and scored every run for New Hampshire to lead the Fisher Cats past the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, 3-2, in eleven innings on Sunday afternoon at NYSEG Stadium. The one-run defeat snapped the Ponies’ five-game winning streak. Tommy Milone tossed three scoreless innings in his first Major League rehab appearance with Binghamton.

With the Fisher Cats down by two in the seventh inning, Alford opened the comeback by doubling against Marcos Molina and scoring on a single by Harold Ramirez. With the Fisher Cats down to their final two outs in the ninth, he drilled a 1-0 pitch from Molina over the wall in right-center field to tie the game.

The game-tying blast erased a lead the Rumble Ponies compiled thanks to a shaky defensive afternoon for the Fisher Cats. David Thompson scampered home with the game’s first run when Alford bobbled Kevin Kaczmarski’s single to right. In the sixth, Lourdes Gurriel uncorked a wild throw from second on a potential double play that allowed Tomas Nido to cross the plate with Binghamton’s second run.

In the eleventh, Alford singled against Drew Smith and took third when Gustavo Nunez tossed wildly to second on a potential force out. Lourdes Gurriel capped a ten-pitch battle by lifting a go-ahead sacrifice fly to left field.

Dusty Isaacs (3-2) claimed the win by capping the Fisher Cats pitching tab with two perfect innings of relief. Carlos Ramirez tossed 2-1/3 innings of relief and extinguished a rally in the ninth by getting Tomas Nido to roll into an inning-ending double play.

Smith (2-0) allowed an unearned run on one hit over two innings and took the loss in his Rumble Ponies debut. Molina gave up two runs on five hits over six innings and took a no-decision after failing to preserve the late lead.

Prior to Alford’s big finish, the Ponies had kept the Fisher Cats in check. Milone, pitching in the Eastern League for the first time since his 2010 All-Star year with the Harrisburg Senators, retired nine of the eleven Fisher Cats he faced. The southpaw stepped around Richard Urena’s double in the first and a single from Jonathan Davis in the third to post three scoreless innings.

The Rumble Ponies (59-45) enjoy an off day on Monday before opening a three-game series against the first-place Trenton Thunder on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. RHP Robert Gsellman takes the mound against RHP Bobby Koerner. 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: LJ Mazzilli has collected seven outfield assists in 32 games…Tomas Nido set a franchise record by rolling into his 22nd double play of the season…Binghamton fell to 39-2 when leading after eight innings

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