Game Recap: Ponies Fall in Extras to Sea Dogs

                                                             (PC - Ernest Dove/Mack's Mets)

PORTLAND, ME – The Binghamton Rumble Ponies (4-8) fell to the Portland Sea Dogs 3-2 in 10 innings Friday night at Hadlock Field as LF Tyler Dearden’s walk-off single drove home the automatic runner Devlin Granberg from second.

The Rumble Ponies had a 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth as RHP Bryce Montes De Oca looked to lock down the save. With runners on the corners and one out, Christian Koss grounded out to first. 1B Jeremy Vasquez stepped on the bag for the second out and immediately threw home but Eli Marrero slid in safely to tie the game at two.

It was Vasquez who put the Ponies up 1-0 in the first on a two-out RBI single off Portland (7-6) starter Brandon Walter that scored Johneshwy Fargas all the way from first. The Sea Dogs tied the game in the fifth on a Wil Dalton leadoff homer off reliever Nate Fisher. In the top of the sixth, the Ponies came through with two outs again, as Matt Winaker lined an opposite field single to left to score Fargas and put Binghamton ahead 2-1.

The Ponies got a strong outing from their starting pitcher RHP Alex Valverde, who pitched four scoreless frames allowing just three hits with no walks and six strikeouts. Fisher settled in after Dalton’s homer pitching two and two thirds innings. Montes de Oca came in with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth and struck out Cameron Cannon and Dalton to end the frame without surrendering a run.

Walter allowed six hits and two runs over six innings with no walks and ten strikeouts. Portland’s bullpen pitched four innings of scoreless and hitless relief allowing just two baserunners. Frank German (3-0) earned the win pitching the ninth and tenth.

The Sea Dogs have taken three of the first four games in the series. The two teams are back on the field Saturday afternoon at 1:00 PM with pregame coverage getting underway at 12:45 PM on CBS Sports Radio 1360.

Postgame Notes: Vasquez has now driven in a run in five of his last six games…Fargas scored both Ponies runs…Montes de Oca allowed his first run of the year in the ninth.