Offense Stays Hot to Complete Sweep, 7-2

BINGHAMTON,NY – Rylan Sandoval led the B-Mets offense with four RBI and Collin McHugh fired six strong innings as Binghamton swept a four-game series from the Portland Sea Dogs with a 7-2 win on Sunday afternoon at NYSEG Stadium.

The low temperatures at first pitch did nothing to cool the B-Mets’ bats.Binghamton pounded out 13 hits, including five for extra bases. It was the third time in the series and fifth time in the last eight games the B-Mets havecollected ten hits or more.

Juan Lagares started the onslaught in the second with a single off Portland starter Brock Huntzinger. Juan Centeno added a single and Joe Bonfe walked to load the bases. Rylan Sandoval got Binghamton on the scoreboard by shooting a double offthe right centerfield fence. The hit cleared the bases and gave Binghamton a3-0 lead. Matt den Dekker tacked onto the advantage by doubling Sandoval home.

Thecushion was more than enough for B-Mets starter Collin McHugh. The right-handercruised to his third straight victory, tying him for the league lead. He rackedup six strikeouts for the third straight game and allowed just one unearned runon two hits.

Afterputting up four scoreless innings, Portland finally scratched out a run in thefifth. Ronald Bermudez reached on a throwing error by Oswaldo Navarro at third.He moved to second on a wild pitch and scored two batters later when Jeremy Hazelbakerdumped one into left. McHugh escaped the inning with no further damage andposted a perfect sixth to cap his day.

TheB-Mets added to their lead in the fourth. Pedro Zapata bunted his way aboardand stole second. After gaining third on a wild pitch, he scored when Sandovaltripled to right centerfield, his second three-bagger as a B-Met. Den Dekkermade it 6-1 with a sacrifice fly to center.

Huntzingerfailed to complete the inning, pulled after surrendering a single to JoshRodriguez, one of Rodriguez’s four hits on the day. He is the first B-Met tocollect four hits in a game since Brahiam Maldonado in August 2011. Huntzingersuffered his fourth-straight loss, allowing six runs on eight hits.

CharleRosario took over and added 2.1 innings of relief. Binghamton plated theirfinal run of the day on an RBI single by Rodriguez in the sixth.

ArmandoRodriguez took the mound and worked around a leadoff single by Bermudez to posta scoreless seventh and needed just twelve pitches to work a perfect eighth.Edgar Ramirez surrendered a run in the ninth before retiring Hazelbaker on agroundout to first to end the game.

TheB-Mets (9-7) enjoy an off day on Monday before kicking off a three-game series againstthe New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Tuesday at 6:35 PM at NYSEG Stadium. RHP ZackWheeler takes the ball for Binghamton. The Horizons Federal Credit Unionpre-game show begins at 6:20 PM on Newsradio 1290 WNBF.