ERIE, PA – Binghamton starter Casey Delgado powered into the ninth inning to guide the Rumble Ponies past the Erie SeaWolves, 5-3, on Tuesday night at UPMC Park. Delgado fired 8-1/3 innings, matching his longest career start in affiliated ball, and David Thompson belted his 12th home run of the season in the victory.

Delgado did not let a first-inning RBI double by Steven Moya derail his evening. The righty used a perfect second inning to start a stretch in which he set down 18 of 20 Erie hitters. He held Erie hitless from the second into the eighth, a span of 19 at-bats.

Gabriel Quintana blasted a solo homer to start the eighth, but Delgado responded with three straight outs to end the inning. Owning a three-run lead in the ninth, he retired Kody Eaves before Mike Gerber singled to right, ending his night.

Cory Burns allowed the first two he faced to reach before retiring Dawel Lugo and fanning Gabriel Quintana to claim his 18th save of the season.

The Rumble Ponies offense backed Delgado’s gem with a two-out rally in the fourth. Matt Oberste followed a walk by LJ Mazzilli with a double, setting the table for Tomas Nido. The Ponies catcher pulled Crouse’s 0-1 pitch into the left-field corner, plating both runners to give Binghamton the lead. Thompson capped the inning by banging another run-scoring double off the wall in left-center.

Thompson delivered again in the seventh, blasting a two-run homer to left field. His long ball gave the Ponies a pair of insurance tallies that they would put to use.

Delgado (10-5) allowed three hits on three runs over 8-1/3 innings to earn his fourth win in as many appearances. Crouse (6-6) was touched for five runs on seven hits in seven innings of work in the loss.

The Rumble Ponies (70-49) conclude their final regular season visit to Erie on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. The Horizons Federal Credit Union Pregame Show can be heard starting at 6:50 p.m. on NewsRadio 1290 AM WNBF and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies channel on TuneIn.

POSTGAME NOTES: Binghamton improved to 9-1 in their last ten games started by Casey Delgado...the Rumble Ponies lowered their magic number to clinch a postseason berth to 13 with the win…Delgado’s outing was the longest performance by a Rumble Pony starter this season

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