Tong, Shook Combine for Franchise’s First Perfect Game; Binghamton Splits Doubleheader with Reading
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – The Binghamton Rumble Ponies (18-12) and Reading Fightin Phils (8-21) split the doubleheader at Mirabito Stadium on Saturday. Right-handers Jonah Tong and TJ Shook combined to throw the first perfect game in Binghamton’s franchise history in the second game. Game One: Fightin Phils 7, Rumble Ponies 5
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – The Binghamton Rumble Ponies (18-12) and Reading Fightin Phils (8-21) split the doubleheader at Mirabito Stadium on Saturday. Right-handers Jonah Tong and TJ Shook combined to throw the first perfect game in Binghamton’s franchise history in the second game.
Game One: Fightin Phils 7, Rumble Ponies 5 (Final/7)
New York Mets infielder Ronny Mauricio began a rehab assignment with Binghamton and went 1-for-3 with an RBI double and played third base for seven innings.
Reading got off to a 5-0 lead on Jonathan Pintaro, highlighted by Hendry Mendez’s sacrifice fly in the first inning and Trent Farquhar’s grand slam in the second inning.
Binghamton erased a 5-0 deficit and tied the game in the sixth inning. William Lugo hit an RBI double in the fourth inning that made it 5-1. Mauricio’s double in the fifth inning scored D’Andre Smith and made it 5-2.
In the sixth inning, Ryan Clifford led off with a double, and Nick Lorusso and William Lugo followed with walks to load the bases. Clifford scored on a wild pitch that made it 5-3. Kevin Parada drove in Lorusso with a sacrifice fly that made it 5-4. Lugo eventually scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 5-5.
In the top of the seventh, Mendez drilled a go-ahead two-run home run that gave Reading a 7-5 lead.
Game Two: Rumble Ponies 6, Fightin Phils 0 (Final/7)
Tong (1-2) started for Binghamton and recorded a career-high 13 strikeouts over 6.2 perfect innings, coming one-out shy of completing it himself. Tong earned his first win of the season and tossed a career-high-tying 6.2 innings and threw 99 pitches and 61 strikes.
Tong struck out the side in the first inning, recorded two strikeouts in the second, two strikeouts in the third, one strikeout in the fourth, struck out the side in the fifth and struck out two batters in the sixth. Tong struck out 13 of the 20 batters that he faced.
Shook came in with two outs in the top of the seventh and struck out Mendez to end the game and finish the combined perfect game. Tong and Shook combined to strike out 14 of the 21 batters that they faced in the game.
Binghamton brought 10 batters to the plate and scored six runs in the fifth inning. Seven-consecutive batters reached in the frame, starting with Smith’s triple. Alex Ramírez drew a walk and stole second base, and Smith scored on the throw to make it 1-0. Matt O’Neill followed with a walk and Wyatt Young walked.
The top of the order came up with the bases loaded and Jett Williams ripped an opposite-field two-run double that put Binghamton up 3-0. Nick Morabito followed with an RBI single, and Ryan Clifford followed with a two-run single that made it 6-0. All six runs were charged to Gabe Mosser (0-4), who took the loss.
The Rumble Ponies conclude their five-game series against the Fightin Phils (Double-A, Philadelphia Phillies) on Sunday at Mirabito Stadium. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on WNBF News Radio 1290 & 92.1 FM and MiLB.TV.
Postgame Notes: It marked the first time Binghamton no-hit its opponent since Joander Suarez threw a seven-inning no-hitter at Hartford in the first game of a doubleheader on September 7, 2023…It marked the first time Binghamton no-hit its opponent at home since Bob Keppel threw a no-hitter against Portland on August 2, 2003…Clifford recorded an opposite-field hit in each game and extended his hitting streak to five games…Smith recorded a hit in each game, which extended his hitting streak to five games…Williams went 0-for-4 in the first game, which snapped his 16-game on-base streak, but hit a two-run double in the second game…Binghamton has now split four of its six doubleheaders this season.
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