Ponies' Mazzilli rides off on big night at plate

When Double-A Rumble Ponies manager Luis Rojas called on Mets No. 13 prospect and defensive wizard Luis Guillorme to pinch-hit with the winning run on second base in the 12th inning, he told L.J. Mazzilli he would be moving from second to right field.
Mazzilli shocked all within earshot when he refused his skipper's request.
"He was taken back and he was silent," the 26-year-old said. "I was like, 'Because Guillorme's going to win it right here.' We all kind of freaked out in the dugout. We all got fired up and then my hitting coach [Valentino Pascucci] is like, 'You know you're on deck, right?'"

Gameday box score
Things didn't pan out exactly how Mazzilli predicted, but he did avoid the trek to the outfield. Following a walk to Guillorme, the infield prospect lined his second single of the game to drive in Kevin Kaczmarski and lift Binghamton to a 5-4 win over Erie at NYSEG Stadium. Mazzilli also homered and doubled on a 4-for-6 night, plating three runs and scoring twice.
The Greenwich, Connecticut native's average dipped to .239 on Wednesday after a four-game hitless streak in which he went 0-for-11. In five games since then, Mazzilli has found a groove, going 10-for-21 (.476) to raise his average to .256. He's slugged four homers with 33 RBIs in 88 Eastern League games.

"It's been a tough year for me," the son of former Major Leaguer Lee Mazzilli said. "The past week, I've got a little more rhythm in my load and just relaxing at the plate. Today, I was doing that. I was loading nice and easy and slow and trying to get a good pitch to hit. Once I did, I just put a good swing on it."
Mazzilli's big night started in the opening frame when he walked and scored on a single to center field by New York No. 26 prospect David Thompson. Leading off the third against Erie starter Matt Hall, Mazzilli lofted a 1-0 changeup over the fence in left-center field.
"I thought it was a fastball, but apparently it was a changeup," he said. "I just reacted with my hands. I was thinking it would get over the left fielder's head and then it went out, luckily."

The University of Connecticut product beat out an infield single to the left side to start the fifth and smacked an RBI double to left with two outs in the sixth.
After bouncing out to short in the eighth, Mazzilli had the chance to win the game in the 10th with Champ Stuart on second, but grounded out.
His chance for redemption came after Guillorme drew a walk from Paul Voelker that loaded the bases with two outs. Mazzilli sent a first-pitch slider from Voelker up the middle to end the game.
"I went up to the plate feeling loose and having fun with the team and everything," Mazzilli said. "I knew that he wasn't going to try to give me anything good to hit early in the count, so I was just trying to have something in the zone and put the barrel on it nice and easy and just hope to get a hit."
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No. 10 Mets prospect Peter Alonso doubled in five trips to the plate. After being held hitless in his Double-A debut Thursday, the 2016 second-round pick has hit safely in five straight games. 
Steven Moya homered, doubled and scored twice for the SeaWolves.