Ponies Get it Dunn, Grab Rubber Game

Press Release:

PORTLAND, ME – Rumble Ponies starter Justin Dunn struck out nine over a career-high 7-2/3 innings to solidify Binghamton’s 2-1 victory over the Portland Sea Dogs on Tuesday night at Hadlock Field. Backed by Tomas Nido’s tiebreaking double in the eighth, Dunn held the Sea Dogs to two hits to send Binghamton to the rubber game victory.

Dunn’s magnificent start opened with a flat note. Danny Mars stroked the righty’s second pitch of the game into the right-field corner for a triple and scampered home one pitch later on a groundout.

Unperturbed by the quick strike, Dunn settled in to retire nine straight Sea Dogs. Portland put two aboard in the fourth and threatened after Binghamton failed to turn an inning-ending double play. Dunn responded by striking out Luke Tendler on three pitches to end the rally. Dunn cruised into the seventh putting down nine consecutive Sea Dogs again, racking up five strikeouts during the span.

Kept in check after scoring the game’s first run in the opening inning, the Rumble Ponies offense came to life with two outs in the eighth with the game tied at one. Reliever Trey Ball, pitching his third inning, surrendered a single to Josh Allen before walking Joey Terdoslavich. With two aboard, Nido jumped on Ball’s first pitch, pulling a double into the left-field corner to put Binghamton ahead.

Dunn backed the Ponies push by notching the first two outs in the eighth before handing off to Corey Taylor. The righty collected the last out of the inning and used a double play to erase a leadoff single in the ninth. Luis Rojas called upon lefty Daniel Zamora to face Josh Ockimey, but surrendered an infield single. Zamora bounced back and retired Tate Matheny to seal his first save.

Dunn (2-2) allowed just two hits to earn the victory. He held the Sea Dogs hitless in their final 14 at-bats and set down 13 of the last 14 Portland hitters that came to the plate.

POSTGAME NOTES: Binghamton earned their first series win since June 5-7, when they took two-of-three against the Harrisburg Senators…Tomas Nido extending his hitting streak to eight games with his eighth-inning double…the Rumble Ponies improved to 5-3 in rubber games