Thursday, May 17, 2018

PONIES WIN OVER FISHER CATS

Taylor & McNeil Blast Ponies Past Fisher Cats
MANCHESTER, NH – Kevin Taylor went deep twice and Jeff McNeil hit his third home run in as many games to highlight Binghamton’s 21-hit attack in the Rumble Ponies’ 11-1 win over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Thursday night at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium. Ponies starter Nabil Crismatt carried a no-hit bid into the sixth inning en route to his team-leading fifth victory.
Taylor opened his big night at the plate in the fourth. With Binghamton already on the board, the Ponies’ left fielder doubled the advantage by lining a leadoff homer over the wall in right-center against Fisher Cats starter Francisco Rios. The shot extended Taylor’s hitting streak to 10 games.
McNeil, after extending his hitting streak to an Eastern League-best 16 games with a single in third, followed in Taylor’s footsteps in the fifth. The Rumble Ponies infielder pelted the video board in right-center with the first pitch he saw. The two-run blast, his tenth of the season, gave Binghamton a 4-0 lead.
The Rumble Ponies pushed the game into blowout territory with a four-run sixth inning, highlighting the frame with RBI doubles from Jhoan Urena and John Mora and two-run single from McNeil.
With the game nearly sealed, Taylor struck again in the eighth against Andrew Case. He turned on an 0-1 pitch from the Fisher Cats’ right-hander and cleared the wall in right-center for the second time in the game.
The Rumble Ponies unparalleled offensive night at the plate saw every position player collect a hit. Seven Ponies batters recorded multiple-hit games, while McNeil notched his second four-hit game in five days.
Binghamton’s 21-hit effort, one shy of matching a franchise record, was plenty of support for Crismatt (5-1). The Ponies leader in victories went 5-1/3 innings before allowing his first hit of the game, an infield single by Vladimir Guerrero. The Fisher Cats filled the bases in the sixth, but Crismatt coaxed a double play out of Juan Kelly to end the threat and cap his night. Crismatt allowed one run on six hits and struck out seven over six innings.
Joshua Torres and Tyler Bashlor combined for three scoreless innings of relief to close Binghamton’s pitching tab. The three Ponies pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts, the fourth consecutive game in which Binghamton has reached double-digits in strikeouts.
The Rumble Ponies (20-18) continue their visit to Manchester on Friday with a doubleheader starting at 5:35 PM. RHP Marcos Molina faces RHP Sean Reid-Foley in the opener. The Horizons Federal Credit Union pregame show starts at 5:20 PM and can be heard on NewsRadio 1290 AM and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies channel on TuneIn.
POSTGAME NOTES: The 21 hits were the most Binghamton has collected in a game since they had that many on September 2,2015 against the Reading Fightin Phils…Binghamton’s franchise record of 22 hits in one game was last done on April 11, 2008 against the Erie SeaWolves…Binghamton’s pitching staff has struck out 10+ batters in four straight games for the first time since April 30-May 4, 2017

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