Ponies Walk Off Fightins for Second-Straight Night

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – The Binghamton Rumble Ponies (17-11) came-from-behind for a walk-off, 6-5, win over the Reading Fightin Phils on Thursday night at Mirabito Stadium. It marked Binghamton’s second-straight comeback and walk-off win over Reading to begin this series.

Binghamton trailed 4-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning and scored all six of its runs across the final three frames.

With the game tied 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth inning, Matt O’Neill, Wyatt Young, and Jett Williams each drew a walk to begin the frame and load the bases against right-hander Andrew Schultz (0-1).

With the bases loaded and no outs, Nick Morabito lined out to first base and Ryan Clifford struck out. Nick Lorusso came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs and roped a line drive to center field that Cade Fergus dropped, which allowed pinch-runner Travis Swaggerty to score the game-winning run.

Binghamton was down 4-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh, before O’Neill belted a solo home run with two outs to get the Ponies on the board and kickstart the comeback.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Williams led off with a walk and Morabito hit into a fielder’s choice, but Reading committed an error that allowed Williams to reach second base. With runners on first and second base, Clifford crushed a game-tying three-run home run that made it 4-4. It marked Clifford’s fifth home run and second-straight game with a homer.

Later in the frame, JT Schwartz belted a go-ahead solo home run in his first game back off the injured list, which put Binghamton up 5-4.

Reading (7-20) tied the game in the top of the ninth with a leadoff first-pitch solo home run from Robert Moore off right-hander Ryan Lambert (1-0).

Right-hander Jack Wenninger started the game for Binghamton and struck out three batters over a season-high six innings, while allowing four runs. Right-hander Trey McLoughlin pitched a scoreless seventh inning with two strikeouts, and stranded the bases loaded. Right-hander Cameron Foster struck out three batters and worked around two hits in a scoreless eighth inning. Lambert blew the save, but earned his first Double-A win.

The Fightins got off to a 4-0 lead with all four runs coming in the third inning on Moore’s RBI double and Aidan Miller’s three-run homer.

The Rumble Ponies continue this six-game series against the Reading Fightin Phils (Double-A, Philadelphia Phillies) on Friday at Mirabito Stadium. First pitch is set for 6:07 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on WNBF News Radio 1290 & 92.1 FM.

Postgame Notes: Binghamton has scored a combined 15 runs in the sixth inning or later and 13 runs in the seventh inning or later across each of the first two wins in this series…Lorusso (1-for-5) extended his on-base streak to seven games…Williams (1-for-3, R, 2 BB) extended his on-base streak to 16 games…Clifford (2-for-5, HR, 3 RBI, R) recorded his team-leading seventh multi-hit game and fourth multi-RBI game…Clifford drove in a season-high three runs…Schwartz (1-for-3, HR, RBI, R, BB) hit his second home run of the season in just his fifth game…D’Andre Smith (1-for-4) extended his hit streak to three games…O’Neill (1-for-2, HR, RBI, 2 R, 2 BB) extended his hit streak to three games and on-base streak to five games.