DUCKS PADDLE PAST PONIES

Ducks Start Strong, Paddle Past Ponies

AKRON, OH – The Akron RubberDucks plated three runs in the first, highlighted by a two-run double by Connor Marabell, and held off the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, 3-2, on Thursday night at Canal Park. The Rumble Ponies racked up 10 hits against five Ducks pitchers, but mustered just one with a runner in scoring position in the series opener.

Akron used a two-out rally to get on the board in the first against Mickey Jannis. With two in scoring position, Marabell poked a bases-clearing double down the left-field line. Willi Castro kicked the lead to three, following with an RBI single to right.

Jannis settled down after his bumpy first inning and posted capped his night with six scoreless innings. The knuckleballer set down 18 of the final 20 RubberDucks hitters he faced.

The Rumble Ponies started a few rallies, but could not get over the hump against a collection of Ducks relievers. Binghamton put two in scoring position against spot-starter Matt Whitehouse with one out in the third, but a base running mistake led to an inning-ending double play. The Rumble Ponies stranded two in the fifth against David Speer, and failed to score in the sixth after Josh Allen led off with a double versus Cole Sulser.

Binghamton finally cracked the scoreboard in the eighth with Nick Pasquale on the mound. Joey Terdoslavich stroked a two-out single to center to plate Allen from second. The Rumble Ponies scratched out a run in the ninth against Henry Martinez on a groundout by Jhoan Urena, before the righty notched the final two outs to seal his tenth save.

Jannis (6-3) was touched for three runs on six hits over seven innings in the loss. Sulser (1-0) earned the official scorer-awarded win with two scoreless innings of relief.

The Rumble Ponies (43-45) continue their four-game series in Akron on Friday at 7:05 PM. RHP Scott Copeland gets the ball for the Ponies against RHP Aaron Civale. The Horizons Federal Credit Union pregame show starts at 6:50 PM and can be heard on NewsRadio 1290 AM WNBF and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies channel on TuneIn.

POSTGAME NOTES: Mickey Jannis made his 60^th career Double-A start with Binghamton, tying him with Rainy Lara (2014-2016) for third-most in franchise history…the Ponies went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position…Tim Tebow extended his hitting streak to a season-best eight games with an infield single in the fifth inning