Havens Leads Offense in Return to B-Mets,7-1

ERIE,PA – In his first game of the season, Reese Havens collected three hits,including a two-run home run, to lead the Binghamton Mets past the ErieSeaWolves by a 7-1 score in the rubber match Sunday afternoon at Jerry UhtPark. Binghamton pounded out 10 hits, including five for extra bases, to make awinner of Zack Wheeler for the first time in his Double-A career.

Binghamtonjumped on Erie starter Mark Sorensen in the first. Matt den Dekker started theattack with a double to the right field gap. Havens, activated from thedisabled list before the game, ripped a two-run homer to right field on hisfirst swing of the season. Havens launched six home runs in 58 games withBinghamton last year.

TheB-Mets did not take their foot off the gas pedal in the second. Pedro Zapatadumped a single to center and was quickly brought home when den Dekker ripped atriple down the right field line. Rodriguez followed by with a walk to putrunners at the corners. With Havens at the plate, Rodriguez forced himself intoa rundown and stayed alive long enough for den Dekker to score from third.

Sorensencould not reach the third. Patrick Cooper took over and put up a scorelessframe before allowing a leadoff triple to Zapata in the fourth. The speedyoutfielder scored one batter later on den Dekker’s sac fly to center.

Cooperallowed two more runs in the fifth. Eric Campbell singled and moved to third ona pair of wild pitches by the righty. Travis Ozga brought him home with asingle to center. Juan Centeno scored later in the frame when Zapata beat out apotential double play.

Theoffensive support was long-overdue for Wheeler. In his first four starts, theB-Mets had scored a total of four runs. Given a seven-run cushion, the rightyfrom Georgia collected his first Double-A win.

Wheelerdid not allow a hit until the fourth and surrendered just two over his 5.2innings. In the sixth he allowed a double to Brandon Douglas before inducingRob Brantly to fly out to center.

Withtwo outs, Pedro Lopez opted to replace Wheeler with Jeff Kaplan. Wheelerfinished with six strikeouts on the day. Jordan Lennerton greeted by poundingan RBI double off the left centerfield fence. It was the only run Erie platedin the game.

Kaplanforced Ben Guez to ground out to end the inning and worked around a two-outsingle to put up a scoreless seventh. Armando Rodriguez got the nod for theeighth and took the game to the finish line with two scoreless innings.

Thewin was Binghamton’s first in a rubber match and secured their second serieswin of 2012. Wheeler (1-2) earned his first Double-A win, while Sorensen (0-2)was handed his second defeat.

TheB-Mets (12-10) head to Akron, Ohio to start a four-game series against theAeros on Monday night at 7:05 PM. LHP Darin Gorski takes the ball forBinghamton against RHP Steven Wright. The Horizons Federal Credit Unionpre-game show begins at 6:50 PM on Newsradio 1290 WNBF