Buoyed by Third Inning, Ponies Edge Baysox
BINGHAMTON, NY - Behind a four-run, five-hit third inning, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies beat the Bowie Baysox 6-4 in Friday night's series-opener at NYSEG Stadium. In front of 6,510 fans, the Rumble Ponies utilized the longball again, collecting three more to increase their league lead. Binghamton has back-to-back wins for the first time since May 15 & 16.
Already ahead 2-1 entering the third inning, Binghamton extended and then protected their Friday night lead. Champ Stuart jolted the Pony bats, beginning the frame with a solo blast over the left-field fence. Stuart's second home run of the season was followed by three straight hits - Joey Wong's double, Jeff McNeil's single, and then Peter Alonso's league-leading 13th home run of the season. His blast propelled Binghamton to an early 6-1 advantage.
The third frame was Brian Gonzalez's (0-2) last inning. In his second career Double-A start, he coughed up all six runs on seven hits and has allowed 14 runs over 5-2/3 innings in his two Eastern League starts.
The offensive support was plenty for the knuckleballer Mickey Jannis (4-1), making his seventh Rumble Ponies start of the 2018 season. The righty twirled seven innings of four-run baseball, marking the second straight day a Binghamton starter has gone at least seven innings (Scott Copeland). After allowing a second-inning run-scoring single to Martin Cervenka, Jannis allowed one run in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings.
Cedric Mullins brought in the fifth inning tally by singling home Anderson Feliz, his 27th RBI of the season. In the sixth inning, Ryan Mountcastle closed the gap to 6-3 with his second home run of his Double-A tenure. Armando Araiza capped Bowie's scoring, collecting a two-out single to score Mullins.
Tyler Bashlor picked up his team-leading seventh save of the season, striking out four Baysox in his two innings. It's his first six-out save of the 2018 campaign.
Binghamton (24-22) continues the four-game series with Bowie on Saturday evening. RHP Joseph Shaw takes the bump for the Ponies against Baysox RHP Hunter Harvey with first pitch scheduled for 6:05. The Horizons Federal Credit Union pregame show starts at 5:50 PM and can be heard on NewsRadio 1290 WNBF and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies channel on TuneIn.
POSTGAME NOTES: The 6,510 in attendance is the 14th largest crowd in Binghamton's franchise history (Largest: 7,412 - July 17, 2008)…Mickey Jannis is the third Rumble Pony pitcher to toss at least seven innings in a start this season (Scott Copeland, Andrew Church)…Matt Oberste hit his fourth home run of the season in the second inning…