THUNDER THUMP PONIES

Thunder Thump Ponies in Series Opener, 7-3

BINGHAMTON, NY – The Rumble Ponies season-long losing skid stretched to seven games Tuesday night at ARM & HAMMER Park, falling to the Thunder 7-3. Despite scoring first for the first time in six games, Binghamton’s offense only plated runs in one other frame the rest of the night. Trenton has won three of four in the 2018 regular-season series.

Batting first and playing in just his fourth affiliated baseball game, Josh Allen started Tuesday’s series opener by roping Trevor Stephan’s second pitch down the left field line and off the foul pole. Allen’s first home run of the season gave the Rumble Ponies just their second lead in the last seven games. 

With Scott Copeland making his 175^thcareer minor league start, the Rumble Ponies advantage lasted only until the bottom of the second inning. A leadoff double by Gosuke Katoh was followed by a Mandy Alvarez walk, putting two aboard for Devyn Bolasky. His groundout pushed both runners into scoring position. With Jhalan Jackson at the dish, Copeland issued two wild pitches, allowing both Katoh and Alvarez to score, earning Trenton a 2-1 lead.

The Thunder tacked on another tally in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead. Bolasky’s one out triple to deep center field, pushed home Alvarez, who reached on a fielders’ choice.

Copeland (4-2) was knocked out of the game during Trenton’s three-run sixth inning. Singles by Abiatal Avelino and Ryan McBroom eventually set the stage for a costly Binghamton error. With one out, Alvarez hit a groundball that could have been a double play ball, but instead glanced off of Levi Michael’s glove and ricocheted into left field. The blunder allowed one to score and kept the inning alive for the Thunder. After a Bolasky single and Diaz double, it’d be a three-run four-hit inning with eight Trenton batters seeing the plate. 

Stephan (2-2), meanwhile, only tossed five innings, but gave up just three hits and one run. He struck out six Rumble Ponies and walked two.

Tim Tebow closed the gap to 6-3 in the seventh inning behind a two-run double into left centerfield. He finished 2-for-4 with two doubles and has three two-baggers in the last two games.

Avelino capped the scoring in the bottom of the seventh, launching his sixth home run of the season off of David Roseboom

Binghamton (34-35) continues their three-game set with the middle game on Wednesday. RHP Marcos Molina gets the ball against RHP Domingo Acevedo with first pitch at ARM & HAMMER Park scheduled for 7:00 PM.  The Horizons Federal Credit Union pregame show starts at 6:45 PM and can be heard on NewsRadio 1290 WNBF and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies channel on TuneIn.

POSTGAME NOTES: Binghamton’s longest losing streak since May 2016…First time in Scott Copeland’s career giving up at least 10 hits in back-to-back starts…Copeland eclipsed 1000 career minor league innings pitched in the first inning…Allen’s home run is Binghamton’s 67^th this season, surpassing the 2017 Rumble Ponies regular-season total