BINGHAMTON, NY – Behind three big innings, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies edged the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, 10-6, Thursday night at NYSEG Stadium. Binghamton completed their second come-from-behind victory in the last three days, scoring seven of the game’s final eight runs. The Ponies fifth win in the last seven brings them back to two games above .500.
Trailing 5-3 in the fifth inning, the Rumble Ponies put together the second of three run-scoring frames. Following back-to-back singles by John Mora and Jeff McNeil, Peter Alonso collected his team-best 23rdRBI with a softly hit infield single. After Patrick Mazeika’s walk, Matt Oberste singled home McNeil, tying the game at 5-5. Vlad Guerrero Jr.’s throwing error, his second of the inning, propelled Alonso home on Jhoan Urena’s grounder to push Binghamton in front for the second time in the game. Nick Sergakis’ sacrifice fly to deep center capped the four-run fifth, earning Binghamton a 7-5 lead.
The Ponies three-run seventh inning solidified their series-opening victory. Jhoan Urena pushed the advantage to 8-5 with a RBI double down the left field line. His hit knocked reliever Danny Young out of the game. Zach Jackson replaced Young by walking Sergakis, Mora, and McNeil, extending the lead to 10-5.
Tim Tebow’s three-run second-inning blast off of Jon Harris kickstarted Thursday’s scoring. His second longball was the first since his opening-day three run home run.
Harris (1-2) allowed seven runs (six earned) before being yanked in the middle of Binghamton’s big fifth. The right-hander has given up 10 runs against the Rumble Ponies this season over 9-2/3 innings.
The Fisher Cats showed fight, responding to Binghamton’s early 3-0 lead by scoring the next five runs. New Hampshire plated tallies in three straight innings, from the third to the fifth. It started with a third-inning RBI single from Andrew Guillote to score Gunnar Heidt. In the fourth, Juan Kelly touched Mickey Jannis for a two-run blast, his second of the season. Heidt singled home Harold Ramirez just two batters later to give New Hampshire their first lead, 4-3.
New Hampshire grabbed a brief 5-3 lead on Vlad Guerrero Jr.’s impressive solo shot over the wall in left. The scorcher was his third home run of the season and his league-leading 27th RBI.
Jannis (3-0) allowed five runs over his five innings, but was good enough to earn his third win in as many Eastern League starts in 2018.
Binghamton (13-11) continues their four-game homestand on Friday night against New Hampshire. RHP Scott Copeland makes his NYSEG Stadium debut against the Fisher Cats RHP Francisco Rios with first pitch slated for 7:05 p.m. at NYSEG Stadium. The Horizons Federal Credit Union pregame show starts at 6:50 p.m. and can be heard on NewsRadio 1290 WNBF and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies channel on TuneIn.
POSTGAME NOTES:Mickey Jannis made his 49th career start with Binghamton (9th most in franchise history)…Peter Alonso (11 games), Matt Oberste (7 games), & Levi Michael (6 games) each extended their hitting streaks…Rumble Ponies starting pitchers have allowed a home run in four straight games (five home runs)