Ponies fall to Curve on “Baseball in Education” Day

Binghamton, NY – In front of 6,968 excited students and teachers on “Baseball in Education” Day at NYSEG Stadium, the Rumble Ponies (21-13) fell short 9-8 to the Altoona Curve (19-19) on Wednesday morning. With 45 different schools represented, Altoona avoided being swept by the Ponies, who finish their 5-game homestand 2-3.

Ponies first basemen Patrick Mazeika did finish 3-4, drilling a 3-run homer with a career-high 6 RBI. Mazeika’s 3-run homer capped off a five-run first inning that gave the Ponies a 5-0 lead after one, and an RBI single that gave the Ponies a 6-2 advantage after two. His two-run double in the ninth pulled the Ponies to within one in the ninth. Over the last four games Mazeika is 7-15, with 3 HR (his first three of the year) and 14 RBI. He has also extended his team-high hitting streak to fourteen games.

Altoona after falling behind early, used three home runs to get back in the game. Jason Delay hit a two-run homer off Ponies starter Harol Gonzalez in the second, and Logan Hill and Hunter Owen hit back-to-back solo homers in the sixth to cut the Ponies lead to 6-4. In the seventh, the Curve scored three off of the Binghamton bullpen highlighted by a 2-run single from Hill to put Altoona up 7-6. Down 9-6 in the ninth, the Ponies made a furious rally and down by one, had the bases loaded with one out, before Mike Paez hit into a game-ending double play.

Binghamton hits the road for seven games, beginning a four-game series tomorrow night in Trenton against the Thunder. First pitch is set for 7pm on Newsradio 1290 WNBF and on the Binghamton Rumble Ponies channel on TuneIn, with the Horizons Federal Credit Union pregame show beginning at 6:45.

POSTGAME NOTES: The Ponies are still a half-game ahead of the Thunder in the Eastern Division as Trenton fell to the Senators 5-0 in Harrisburg Wednesday…Harol Gonzalez made his first start since pitching a combined no-hitter last week, allowing four runs over six in a no-decision…Altoona left fielder Logan Hill finished 3-4, with 3 RBI, including a solo homer in the sixth and the go-ahead two-run single in the seventh.