New Hampshire 5 - Binghamton 4

MANCHESTER, NH – New Hampshire infielder Kevin Smith delivered a walk-off single against Adonis Uceta in the bottom of the eleventh to send the Fisher Cats to a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over the Binghamton Rumble Ponies on Friday night at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium. Binghamton failed to protect a pair of leads in their first loss of the season.

On a cold, wet night in New England, both offenses failed to collect timely hits until the final frame. With the game tied at three in the eleventh, second baseman Mike Paez ended the Ponies’ stretch of 12 straight hitless at-bats with runners in scoring position by floating an RBI single to left. The knock chased home Will Toffey and gave Binghamton a 4-3 advantage.

PC - Ed Delany

Uceta, making his first appearance with Binghamton since June 2018, could not make the one-run lead stick. Forrest Wall chipped an RBI single down the right-field line to bring home placed runner Brock Lundquist. Following a two-out single and a walk, Smith ended the game by smoking a 1-1 offering into the right-field alley.

More than three hours before Smith’s game-ending rip, the Rumble Ponies had cracked the scoreboard with a pair of runs in the third. Andres Gimenez pelted the wall in right-center for his first triple of the season and came home on Sam Haggerty’s double down the right-field line. Toffey drove in Haggerty by threading a single into left. Kacy Clemens erased the lead in the bottom of the inning with a two-out, two-run single.

Clemens’ hit was the only blemish on Binghamton starter Chris Mazza’s tab. The righty allowed five hits, all singles, and struck out six in six innings in his Rumble Ponies debut. He retired nine of the final ten batters faced and struck out six in the no-decision.

Kirby Snead (1-0) earned the victory despite allowing a run in the eleventh.

The Rumble Ponies (1-1) continue their first road series of the season on Saturday at 6:35 PM. RHP Mike Gibbons takes the hill against LHP Zach Logue. 

POSTGAME NOTES: Binghamton was 5-5 in extra-inning games last season, including a 3-1 mark in games 11 innings in length or longer…the Rumble Ponies suffered their first walk-off loss since August 10, 2018 when they fell to the Richmond Flying Squirrels…Zack Jones tossed two innings in his Rumble Ponies debut