Ponies Secure Wild Win with Thrilling Ninth
MANCHESTER, NH - The Binghamton Rumble Ponies launched three home runs in the ninth inning to stun the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, 12-9, on Friday night at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium. Jhoan Urena, Andrew Ely and Joey Terdoslavich all went deep in Binghamton's five-run final inning to send the Rumble Ponies to one of their wildest wins of the season. Four Rumble Ponies relievers combined for 5-2/3 innings of solid relief to help Binghamton snap a four-game losing streak.
With the Ponies down by a run, Urena led off the decisive inning by launching Dusty Isaacs' 0-1 pitch over the right-field wall. Urena's second homer of the game, and tenth of the season, tied the contest at eighth. Isaacs allowed two more to reach before facing Ely. The Ponies shortstop, who was a mid-game replacement for Andrew Gimenez, blasted a three-run shot to right, his first longball as a Rumble Pony.
Terdoslavich followed with a high drive to dead center. Forrest Wall leaped at the fence, but the fly ball caromed off the wall and ricocheted back towards the infield. Terdoslavich sped around the bases for an inside-the-park homer, narrowly beating Bo Bichette's throw to the plate.
The Rumble Ponies bullpen made the late-game comeback possible. The Fisher Cats secured an 8-5 and chased Binghamton starter Justin Dunn with a five-run fourth inning. Dunn gave way to Matt Blackham. The righty allowed three inherited runners to score, but bounced back to retire the final four batters he faced.
Matt Pobereyko tossed a perfect sixth in his Double-A debut before the Rumble Ponies cut the deficit to a run with two scores in the seventh. Urena launched a solo homer with two outs and Patrick Biondi walked with the bases loaded, ending the night for reliever Jackson McClelland. Stephen Nogosek preserved the one-run game with a blank eighth.
Joshua Torres fired a perfect eighth, solidifying a stretch of 13 straight batters retired by the Rumble Ponies bullpen. After Binghamton's barrage in the ninth, he allowed an unearned run, but closed the game to secure his ninth victory of the season.
Dunn was touched for eight runs on eight hits over 3-1/3 innings. He struck out six and walked four.
The Rumble Ponies (61-69) continue their three-game series against the Fisher Cats on Saturday at 7:05 PM. RHP Nabil Crismatt makes his first start with Binghamton since returning from a stint in Triple-A. The Horizons Federal Credit Union pregame show starts at 6:50 PM and can be heard on NewsRadio 1290 AM WNBF and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies channel on TuneIn.
POSTGAME NOTES: Clocking in at 3:36, it was the Rumble Ponies longest nine-inning game of the season…it was the fifth time this season Binghamton has won a game when trailing entering their final turn at bat (Last: June 2 v New Hampshire, G1)…the teams combined to throw 389 pitches