Fisher Cats Go Wire-to-Wire, Top Ponies
BINGHAMTON, NY - The New Hampshire Fisher Cats scored in the first inning and never looked back to defeat the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, 4-1, on a wet Tuesday night at NYSEG Stadium. The Rumble Ponies racked up nine hits and walked five times, but stranded 11 runners in their first home loss of the season.
For the second straight night, New Hampshire struck in the first. With two aboard against Anthony Kay, Chad Spanberger floated a single to shallow center, bringing in Josh Palacios. Kevin Smith doubled the lead in the third by depositing Kay's second pitch of the inning beyond the left-field wall. In the fifth, Palacios and Santiago Espinal delivered back-to-back RBI doubles to end the southpaw's evening.
Binghamton's bats failed to break through against Fisher Cats starter Hector Perez. Despite allowing at least one runner in each inning, the righty blanked the Rumble Ponies over five frames, striking out seven along the way.
The Ponies best chance to crack the scoreboard against Perez came in the third. Braxton Lee led off with a single, but was thrown attempting to steal second by Alberto Mineo. The Fisher Cats Italian backstop struck again, nabbing Sam Haggerty in his attempt to swipe third later in the inning.
Binghamton threatened in the seventh against reliever Jake Fishman, but the Fisher Cats southpaw escaped a bases-loaded jam with back-to-back strikeouts.
Andres Gimenez provided the only offensive highlight with a two-out RBI single in the ninth, helping the Ponies avoid their first shutout loss of the season.
Kay (0-1) was touched for four runs on five hits over 4-2/3 innings of work in his first loss of the season.
The Rumble Ponies (4-3) conclude their series against the Fisher Cats on Wednesday at 6:35 PM. LHP David Peterson returns to the mound to take on LHP Zach Logue. The Horizons Federal Credit Union pregame show starts at 6:20 PM and can be heard on NewsRadio 1290 AM WNBF and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies channel on TuneIn.
POSTGAME NOTES: Binghamton's 11 runners stranded was their highest total in a nine-inning game this season…Sam Haggerty registered his fourth multiple-hit game of the season…Stephen Nogosek and Adonis Uceta combined for 4-1/3 scoreless innings of relief