B-Mets, Erie Split Pair

The Binghamton Mets split a doubleheader with the Erie SeaWolves on Saturday afternoon at Jerry Uht Park. The B-Mets pounded out a dozen hits, including a pair of three-run homers, in an 8-1 rout in the opener, but blew a two-run lead in the final inning in a 6-5 loss in the nightcap.

GAME ONE – B-Mets 8, SeaWolves 1

The B-Mets caught a break and cashed in to get on the board in the first inning against Erie starter Jeff Ferrell. Kyle Johnson led off the game by blooping a fly into shallow right field. The looper landed between two SeaWolves fielders for a double. Matt Reynolds brought him home, and extended his hitting streak to 11 games, by lining an RBI single into the right-field alley.

Binghamton stretched their lead to five by hanging a four-spot in the second inning. The B-Mets sent nine men to the plate and pounded Ferrell for a season-best five hits in the inning. Kevin Plawecki started the rally by hammering a double to the left-field alley. Wilfredo Tovar brought him home three batters later by shooting an RBI single to left. Kyle Johnson highlighted the inning by blasting a three-run homer, his first round-tripper of the season, over the left-field wall.

Erie struck back in the third against B-Mets starter Matt Bowman. Following a leadoff walk to Francisco Martinez, Jamie Johnson banged a double off the base of the right-center field wall. The drive brought Martinez home from first with the SeaWolves’ first run of the game.

Ferrell settled down after his rocky second inning. The righty retired nine straight B-Mets at one point and exited after tossing five innings.

Bowman kept the SeaWolves off the board in the fourth and fifth before running into trouble in the sixth. After a leadoff single by Eugenio Suarez, Aaron Westlake shot a grounder into right. The B-Mets caught a break when Suarez wandered too far around second and was nabbed by Cory Vaughn. Bowman’s day came to an end when he walked Ramon Cabrera. Adam Kolarek got the call from the bullpen and notched the final two outs, stranding both runners.

Matt Clark boosted Binghamton’s lead to seven by blasting a three-run homer off Nick Avila in the seventh inning. Clark’s sixth round-tripper of the season made it an 8-1 game.

Kolarek returned for the seventh and posted a perfect inning, securing his first save of the season. Bowman (3-0) allowed one run over 5-1/3 innings to earn his third win of the season. Ferrell (1-2) was tagged for five runs on nine hits over five innings in his second loss to the B-Mets.

GAME TWO – SeaWolves 6, B-Mets 5

Binghamton struck first and with authority in the first inning, hanging four runs on Erie starter Kenny Faulk. After the first two batters reached on a walk and a double, Matt Reynolds put Binghamton on the board with a sac fly. Matt Clark followed with another sac fly to double the lead.

Faulk pitched himself back into trouble with a pair of two-out walks. Travis Taijeron made him pay by bouncing a two-run double off the right-field wall, giving the B-Mets a 4-0 lead.

The SeaWolves chopped the four-run deficit in half against B-Mets starter Darin Gorski in the first. Jamie Johnson ripped a triple to the right-field alley to start the inning and scored when Eugenio Suarez blooped a double to shallow center field. Suarez scored three batters later when Wade Gaynor ripped a double down the third-base line.

Binghamton tacked onto their lead in the fourth. Xorge Carrillo lined a double to the left-field alley to extend his season-opening hitting streak to seven games. The B-Mets catcher took third on a single and scored on Darrell Ceciliani’s sac fly to right field.

Erie scratched back for one more run in the fifth, Gorski’s final inning. Brandon Loy walked, moved from first to third on a single, and came home on Aaron Westlake’s sacrifice fly to center. Gorski preserved the lead and ended his day by fanning Ramon Cabrera.

The B-Mets needed three relievers to get through the sixth inning. John Church registered two outs, but surrendered a double and single before giving way to TJ Chism. The southpaw was brought in to face Jamie Johnson, but walked the lefty to load the bases.

With the potential go-ahead run on base, Chasen Bradford was summoned from the bullpen and induced pinch-hitter Jason Krizan to line out to right to end the inning.

In search of his fourth save, Bradford fell into trouble immediately in the seventh. He allowed the first three to reach, loading the bases on two walks and a single. Bradford coaxed a potential double play ball out of Gaynor, but Tovar’s throw to second pulled Matt Reynolds off the bag, allowing Suarez to score. Steven Moya followed by bouncing into a run-producing, game-tying double play.

Before the dust could settle, Francisco Martinez slashed the first pitch he saw through the hole on the right side, plating Ramon Cabrera with the game-winning run.

Bradford (1-1) was tagged for three runs (one earned) on two hits and two walks in his first blown save of the year. Corey Knebel (2-0) tossed a perfect seventh and earned the win after Erie’s comeback.


POST-GAME NOTES: Matt Clark went 0-for-2 in the nightcap and had his hitting streak snapped at 12 games…Matt Reynolds collected a single in each game to extend his hitting streak to 12 games...it was Binghamton’s first walk-off loss since September 4, 2013, when they fell to the Trenton Thunder in the game one of the Eastern Division Championship Series - team press release