Portland, ME – Kevin McAvoy pitched into the eighth inning, helping to push Portland past Binghamton, 2-1, Thursday night at Hadlock Field. The Rumble Ponies series-opening loss, paired with a Fightin Phils win, keeps their magic number to clinch a playoff spot at two.

Trailing by one entering the ninth inning, the Rumble Ponies got their potential tying run on base when L.J. Mazzilli began the frame by lacing a double down the left field line off of Bobby Poyner. After Matt Oberste pinch-hit for Patrick Biondi and struck out, Poyner whiffed Luis Guillorme and then Kevin Kaczmarski to send Binghamton to a series-opening loss. Poyner locked down his ninth save of the season.

Neither team cracked the scoreboard until the fifth inning, when Sea Dogs second baseman Josh Tobias bashed a two-out two-run double into left-center field, giving Portland a 2-0 lead. Marcos Molina had retired the first two batters of the inning before issuing a pair of walks to Jordan Procyshen and Danny Mars.

McAvoy (6-7) gave up the lone Pony run in the sixth inning. Biondi began the rally with a single, before David Thompson’s two-out walk pushed him to second. Kevin Taylor followed by hitting a slow grounder to shortstop, Chad De La Guerra’s throw to first sailed wide and allowed Biondi to score, slicing the deficit to 2-1. The tally was unearned on McAvoy’s card.

Molina (2-7) allowed just three hits over seven innings in his tenth Double-A start. He struck out five and walked three in his sixth straight start of at least six innings.

The Rumble Ponies (76-52) get another crack at clinching a playoff birth with a doubleheader on Friday evening. Mickey Jannis is set to duel with Teddy Stankiewicz with first pitch at Hadlock Field scheduled for 5:00 PM. The Horizons Federal Credit Union Pregame Show can be heard starting at 4:45 on NewsRadio 1290 AM WNBF and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies channel on TuneIn.

POSTGAME NOTES: Binghamton has played six straight one-run games…Marcos Molina has gone at least six innings in nine of his ten Double-A starts…David Thompson doubled twice to extend his hitting streak to five games

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