Rudick’s Late Homer Leads Ponies to Win at New Hampshire in Career Night for Stuart

MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Binghamton Rumble Ponies (8-9) knocked off the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, 5-2, in a thriller at Delta Dental Stadium on Thursday night.

Tyler Stuart started the game for Binghamton and set a new professional career high with 12 strikeouts over six innings of work. Stuart gave up a leadoff hit to Alan Roden in the first and then struck out the next six batters in a row, striking out the side in the second.

The 6-foot-9 right-hander struck out at least two batters in four of his six innings of work. Stuart’s final line was six innings of one-run ball on four hits and one walk with 12 strikeouts.

The Rumble Ponies got the scoring started in the first inning before Stuart even took the mound. Rowdey Jordan singled and stole second base before Alex Ramírez drove him in with an RBI double to make it 1-0.

New Hampshire tied the game in the third against Stuart when Rainer Nuñez led off the inning with a double and later scored when Josh Kasevich grounded into a double play.

Binghamton quickly grabbed the lead back in the fourth inning. Ramírez led off the frame with a double, moved to third on a groundout from JT Schwartz, and scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-1.

The Fisher Cats (8-10) tied the game in the bottom of the eighth against Luis Moreno (1-1) on an RBI single from Gabriel Martinez in his first plate appearance of the game, which made it 2-2.

With two outs in the top of the ninth, Wyatt Young walked, and Matt Rudick followed with a go-ahead two-run homer that gave the Ponies a 4-2 lead. Jordan was hit by a pitch and later scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-2.

Moreno pitched a scoreless ninth and snared a line drive comebacker from Michael Turconi to end the game and strand two runners on base.

The Rumble Ponies will continue their six-game road series with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays) at Delta Dental Stadium on Friday. First pitch is set for 6:35 PM and the game will be broadcast live on WNBF News Radio 1290 & 92.1 FM.

Postgame Notes: Ramírez recorded his third three-hit game of the season and sixth multi-hit game, while reaching base four times…Rudick hit his first home run of the season with the go-ahead blast in the ninth…Schwartz and Brandon McIlwain both walked twice.