BINGHAMTON, NY – The New Hampshire Fisher Cats ripped five runs in the top of the 11th and held on in the bottom of the frame, downing the Binghamton Mets 12-11 in 11 innings Sunday at NYSEG Stadium.
The win helped the Fisher Cats (13-11) avert a sweep, having lost the first two games of the series by 2-1 scores in each game. The B-Mets (14-9) had a six-game winning streak snapped despite scoring 11 runs on 16 hits in the game.
Binghamton established an early lead, scoring three runs in the second inning and another one in the fourth against Fisher Cats starter Mike Lee (ND). New Hampshire began to turn the tide in the fifth inning, with Jon Berti scoring on a single by Dwight Smith Jr., and a throwing error by Mets starting pitcher Michael Fulmer (ND). Matt Newman pounded a two-run homer to deep right field, his fourth long ball of the season, to draw the Fisher Cats within one run.
The Mets answered immediately with an RBI single from Josh Rodriguez in the bottom of the inning and added two more in the seventh when Rodriguez took reliever Tiago Da Silva deep to right field for a homer, making it 7-3, Mets.
The Fisher Cats fought back again in the eighth inning against Mets reliever Jake Kuebler. With runners on second and third, Jack Murphy grounded out to second, scoring K.C. Hobson to take over the lead. An RBI single from Jorge Flores further cut Binghamton’s edge, and Berti hit a high chopper that shortstop Gavin Cecchini couldn’t make a play on, making it a 7-6 game in the middle of the eighth.
In the top of the ninth, the Fisher Cats finally evened the game, putting runners on first and third with one out against Chase Huchingson. With new reliever Beck Wheeler (BS, 1; L, 1-1) in the game, Emilio Guerrero lofted a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Newman and tying the score at seven runs apiece.
New Hampshire finally took the lead in the top of the 11th inning, with Wheeler still pitching for the Mets. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Guerrero again hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Newman, putting the Fisher Cats in front for the first time.
Murphy followed up with a towering three-run homer to right, making it 11-7 New Hampshire. Flores and Berti chipped in a double apiece, with Flores scoring on Berti’s double to extend the lead to 12-7.
Mets’ Josh Rodriguez hammered a two-out grand slam in the bottom of the 11th against New Hampshire reliever Cory Burns to cut the lead to 12-11, but it wasn’t enough for the win, after Aderlin Rodriguez popped out to Flores in shallow left to end the game.
Lee took a no-decision, allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits and two walks in four innings and fanning two. Greg Burke delivered two innings of scoreless relief, striking out three and giving up two hits. DaSilva surrendered two runs on three hits and fanned two in his two innings of action. Blake McFarland (W, 2-0) took the win with two spotless innings of relief; he fanned one. Burns gave up four runs on two hits and a walk in one inning but worked around it, striking out one.
The Fisher Cats start a three-game series with the Reading Fightin’ Phils Monday at 6:15 p.m., with LHP John Anderson (1-1, 3.54) getting the ball for New Hampshire. Coverage with Ben Gellman begins at 6:15 p.m. on the WGIR Fisher Cats Radio Network and online at www.nhfishercats.com.
The Fisher Cats return to Northeast Delta Dental Stadium on Friday, May 8 to play Trenton Thunder. An Atlas Fireworks Show will follow the 6:35 p.m. game. Tickets are available by visiting www.nhfishercats.com., stopping by the Fisher Cats ticket office, or by calling (603) 641-2005.
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