Yard Goats Defeat Rumble Ponies 5-3 in Hartford 

Yard Goats Defeat Rumble Ponies 5-3 in Hartford

Final: Hartford 5, Binghamton 3

WP: Dugan Darnell (2-0)

LP-Alex Valverde (0-2)

S-Stephen Jones (1)

T-2:51

A-3,932

Hartford, Conn- The Yard Goats defeated the Binghamton Rumble Ponies by the score of 5-3 on Thursday night at Dunkin’ Donuts Park in Hartford. Michael Toglia had a pair of doubles, and Niko Decolati and Aaron Schunk each had two hits and an RBI as the Yard Goats beat the Mets affiliate for the second straight game. Hartford starter Noah Davis and four relievers limited Binghamton to just three runs on six hits. The Yard Goats improved to 8-1 when they score the first run, and have won four of their last five games.

The Yard Goats took a 2-0 lead in the second inning off Binghamton starter Alex Valverde. Hartford put together three consecutive singles and an RBI hit by Aaron Schunk scored Jameson Hannah for the games first run. Hunter Stovall hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Niko Decolati to make it 2-0. Hartford added a run in the third inning on an RBI grounder by Willie MacIver and led 3-0 after three innings.

The Rumble Ponies got a run in the fourth inning but Hartford responded with Ezequiel Tovar’s RBI single scoring Aaron Schunk to make it 4-1. Binghamton got a two-run double from Ronny Mauricio in the fifth to pull the visitors to within one. Dugan Darnell relieved Davis and got a flyout to end the rally. Darnell hurled 1.1 scoreless to earn his second win of the season.

The Yard Goats bullpen of Darnell, Will Gaddis, PJ Poulin and Stephen Jones got the job done. Poulin came in during the seventh inning with runners at first and second and got a double play grounder to get out of the inning. He then pitched out of a second and third situation in the eighth inning with a strikeout. Stephen Jones also worked out of a second and third situation in the ninth to earn his first save.

The Yard Goats continue their homestand against the Mets affiliate, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies on Friday night at 7:05 PM. RHP Karl Kauffmann will start for the Yard Goats and RHP Alec Kisena will start for the Rumble Ponies. The Yard Goats are in a stretch of 12 home games in 13 days with the Red Sox affiliate, the Portland Sea Dogs coming to town for the second part of the homestand next week.