Ponies Power Their Way Past Curve Friday Night

Altoona, PA – The Binghamton Rumble Ponies (39-36, 4-7) used three homers in the game along with two big runs in the ninth to beat the Altoona Curve 7-5 on Friday night at Peoples Natural Gas Field. It snaps both a four-game losing streak overall and a four-game skid against the Curve (40-36, 5-4).

Quinn Brodey had the go-ahead RBI double in the ninth that put the Ponies up 6-5 with the next batter Will Toffey belting an opposite field solo homer. With the Ponies down 4-1 in the sixth, Patrick Mazeika hit a two-run shot down the right-field line, his eighth of the year, to make it 4-3. Then Barrett Barnes hit a two out two-run home run in the eighth to put the Ponies up 5-4. Altoona though responded with a pinch-hit RBI double from Brett Pope off Ryder Ryan to tie the score before Binghamton took the lead for good off losing pitcher Angel German (2-2) in the ninth.

Eric Hanhold (1-0) gets the win going two scoreless innings allowing one walk and two strikeouts and closing out the game with a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth. David Peterson was in command over the first four frames but gave up four runs in the fifth in the no-decision. Matt Blackham pitched a scoreless sixth while Ryan allowed two runs over 1+ innings.

Mazeika finished the night 3-4 with two runs scored and two RBI. Brodey was 2-4 with one run scored and an RBI. Both Mazeika and Barnes now have eight home runs which leads the team. Toffey’s long ball was his fourth of the season.

The five-game series over four days in Altoona continues Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader. First pitch of Game One is at 4:30PM on Newsradio 1290 WNBF and on the Binghamton Rumble Ponies channel on TuneIn. The Horizons Federal Credit Union Pregame Show starts at 4:15PM. Game Two will begin approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game One.  

POSTGAME NOTES: The Rumble Ponies are now an Eastern League best 27-13 on the road …David Peterson hit a triple off the centerfield wall in the top of the fifth for his second hit of the year (and of his career)…Saturday will be the third doubleheader the Rumble Ponies are playing this week.