Garcia Leads Charge, Ducks Waddle Past Ponies

BINGHAMTON, NY – Akron infielder Wilson Garcia drove in five runs to lead the RubberDucks past the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, 9-5, on Monday night at NYSEG Stadium. The RubberDucks used a potent two-out attack and jumped on Binghamton starter David Peterson early, chasing the southpaw from the game in the second inning.

Garcia opened his big night in the first by zipping an RBI single up the middle against Peterson to put Akron on the board. The Ducks added two more runs in the first and another in the fourth before Garcia blasted a three-run homer into the rail yard beyond the left-field wall. Garcia’s homer, his second of the season, gave the RubberDucks a seven-run lead and ended Peterson’s night.

Peterson (1-2) recorded five outs and suffered his shortest career outing. The Rumble Ponies lefty allowed six hits and seven runs, all of which came home with two outs.

Binghamton outfielder Barrett Barnes attempted to get Binghamton out of the early hole in his first game back from the Injured List. He singled to start the second and scored Binghamton’s first run before ripping a two-run double in the third off Matt Solter. Will Toffey added a two-run double of his own later in the inning, but it proved to be Binghamton’s final offensive highlight.

Solter pushed through two more innings, slipping out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth. Nick Sandlin, Ben Krauth and Argenis Angulo combined to blank the Rumble Ponies over the final four innings to send Akron to their fifth win in six games.

Solter (1-0) allowed five runs on seven hits over five innings to earn his first career Double-A victory.

The back end of Binghamton’s bullpen provided a bright spot. Stephen Villines tossed two scoreless innings before Ryley Gilliam struck out all three Ducks he faced in his Double-A debut. Adonis Uceta closed Binghamton’s pitching tab with two blank innings.

The Rumble Ponies (10-8) continue their three-game series against the RubberDucks on Tuesday at 6:35 PM. RHP Mickey Jannis takes the mound against RHP Zach Plesac. The Horizons Federal Credit Union pregame show starts at 6:20 PM and can be heard on NewsRadio 1290 AM WNBF and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies channel on TuneIn.

POSTGAME NOTES: Wilson Garcia capped his five-RBI night with a run-scoring single off Joshua Torres in the fourth inning…Will Toffey has hit safely in seven of his last eight games…Binghamton is 1-4 in their last five games