PRESS RELEASE: - Binghamton 4, Reading 2

Zach Lutz, who grew up in the Reading area, broke a ninth-inning deadlock with a towering two-run blast to left, propelling Binghamton past the R-Phils 4-2 Sunday afternoon at First Energy Stadium. The bomb ensured that Mark Cohoon would be rewarded with his fourth straight win. The B-Mets southpaw tossed eight innings and allowed two unearned runs.



Binghamton (64-69) found itself in an early hole courtesy of a two-run second inning put up by Reading (65-68). Tuffy Gosewisch started the inning at the plate and reached on a fielding error by shortstop Jose Coronado. Kevin Mahar moved the runner to second with a sacrifice bunt. Gosewisch then advanced to third on Freddy Galvis’ deep flyout to center. Instead of facing Keoni DeRenne, Cohoon elected to intentionally walk the No. 8 hitter to get to the pitcher Chance Chapman. Unfortunately, Chapman helped his own cause with an RBI single to center, chasing home Gosewisch. Harold Garcia capped the inning’s scoring with an RBI single to right, pushing the R-Phils in front by two, 2-0.



The B-Mets issued a reply in the third against Chapman. Luke Montz drew a one-out walk and was sacrificed to second by Cohoon. With two outs, Coronado brought Montz home with a double over the head of Mahar in center, cutting the deficit in half, 2-1.



Eric Campbell rallied Binghamton to tie the score in the next inning. Josh Satin walked to start the frame. Sean Ratliff followed with a double to left-center. Satin attempted to score from first, but was gunned down at the plate on a relay throw by shortstop Freddy Galvis. However, after Lutz flied out to center for the second out, Campbell connected on a slider from Chapman and sent a single back through the box to plate Ratliff from second, tying the score.



Cohoon took over from there. The southpaw faced two over the minimum after allowing the two-run second inning, taking the game through eight innings for his longest start with Binghamton. He allowed five hits and two walks while striking out five.



Chapman exited to a no-decision after 3 2/3 innings. Left-hander Matt German followed him and retired all seven hitters he faced over 2 1/3 innings to segue to Tyler Cloyd, who was making his Double-A debut.



Cloyd worked two scoreless innings before walking the leadoff hitter in the ninth, Ratliff. Lutz made him pay for the walk with his 17th homer of the season, vaulting the B-Mets into a 4-2 lead.



Manuel Alvarez made the lead stand up in the ninth with a scoreless frame to earn his seventh save in nine chances.



Cohoon has output four consecutive quality starts and is now 4-0 with a 1.60 ERA over five August starts covering 33 2/3 innings