MANCHESTER, N.H. – Despite home runs from Austin Martin and Ryan Podkul, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats couldn’t eke out one more win against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, falling 9-6 on Sunday.
Martin’s home run, his second of the year and second this week, just cleared the right field fence in the first. Podkul’s dinger his first-ever at the Double-A level, found its way just a few feet within the left field foul pole in the fifth.
Bingamton’s Manny Rodriguez went deep as well in the third, but the Ponies couldn’t get a lead until they led off the sixth with three straight batters reaching base, bringing two men across the plate.
The flood gates opened after that as home runs in the top of the seventh by Will Toffey, Desmond Lindsay and Hayden Singer sent six runs across the plate for Binghamton, more than enough for the victory.
New Hampshire loaded the bases in the eighth and ninth, grabbing four combined runs in the failed comeback attempt.
New Hampshire’s latest bullpen collapse spoiled what had been a good start for Kyle Johnston, who struck out eight Binghamton batters over the contest’s first five innings.
The loss would go to Sean Rackoski for his appearance in the sixth, dropping him to 0-1 on the year. Only one of the two runs he gave up in the sixth was earned, but he saw his ERA climb to 9.00. Still, he has a ways to go before catching up with his bullpen colleagues. After Connor Law gave up those six runs in the seventh, he now has an ERA over 10.00, one of five Fisher Cats in that category as of Sunday. New Hampshire remains as the only team in the Double-A Northeast without a save this season.
Tony Dibrell (2-1) was the winner for Binghamton, giving up six hits over his six-inning start, striking out five.
At the plate for New Hampshire, Martin and Demi Orimoloye each had a pair of hits for New Hampshire. Both of Orimoloye’s hits were doubles, bringing him up to five on the year.
New Hampshire falls to 10-19 on the year following the decision, just one game ahead of Binghamton for third place in the Double-A Northeast’s Northeast Division.
The Fisher Cats now get a day off before they head to Portland for another six-game series against the Portland Sea Dogs.
