Ponies Power Past SeaWolves in Opener
ERIE, PA - The Binghamton Rumble Ponies launched four home runs, highlighted by a tape-measure drive from Andres Gimenez, to defeat the Erie SeaWolves, 7-5, on Thursday night at UPMC Park. Harol Gonzalez tossed six innings to claim his first career Double-A victory.
Binghamton's home run barrage started immediately. Sam Haggerty led off the game by stroking Alex Faedo's fifth pitch of the night over the wall in right-center. Will Toffey followed by crushing a two-run homer to left-center later in the inning.
Braxton Lee kept the power surge rolling in the second, crushing a leadoff homer to dead center. Andres Gimenez added an impressive blast of his own later in the frame, sending a tape-measure drive that cleared the storage facility across the street from the right-field wall at UPMC Park.
Gimenez and Haggerty provided a strong 1-2 punch at the top of the lineup. Haggerty supplied a three-hit game, his fifth multiple-hit game of the season, while Gimenez racked up three extra-base hits.
Binghamton's early offense helped secure Gonzalez's first win in a Rumble Pony jersey. The righty retired nine of ten batters before surrendering a leadoff homer to Kody Eaves in the fourth. Daniel Pinero added another solo shot later in the inning, but Gonzalez battled back to retire seven of the last eight batters he faced.
Dario Pizzano's two-out, two-run single in the fifth provided Binghamton with much-needed insurance. Erie plated two in the eighth off Joshua Torres before putting two more aboard in the ninth against Stephen Villines. The righty battled back and recorded three straight outs to claim his third save in as many chances.
Gonzalez (1-0) allowed three runs on four hits over six innings of work. He struck out eight, his highest total in a game since he fanned nine as a Columbia Firefly in July 2017.
The Rumble Ponies (5-4) continue their visit to Erie on Friday at 6:05 PM. RHP Ryder Ryan takes the mound against RHP Spenser Watkins. The Horizons Federal Credit Union pregame show starts at 5:50 PM and can be heard on NewsRadio 1290 AM WNBF and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies channel on TuneIn.
POSTGAME NOTES: Binghamton set season-highs in runs (7) and hits (13)…Binghamton hit four home runs in a game for the first time since August 24, 2018 against the Hartford Yard Goats…the Ponies improved to 4-0 in series-opening games