MANCHESTER, N.H. – On Friday, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies arrived in Manchester for one last regular season series with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, which the Fisher Cats 12-9.
New Hampshire starting pitcher Jordan Romano struggled early on, getting the hook during hat became a four-run third for the visitors. That inning renewed the early lead created thanks to a Will Toffey double in the first, but it certainly wasn’t a comfortable lead.
Thanks to a pair of errors, a trio of stolen bases and half a dozen hits punctuated by a Juan Kelly home run, the Fisher Cats managed to notch runs during the first three innings of the contest and five runs in the fourth allowed New Hampshire to erase Binghamton’s lead once again.
Jhoan Urena’s home run to left brought the game back within a run in the seventh, and another Urena home run in the ninth finally tied things up once again.
The two teams combined for just over three dozen hits, with Urena, Kevin Taylor and Patrick Biondi grabbing multiple hits for Binghamton and Kelly and Forest Wall getting multiple hits for New Hampshire.
Harold Ramirez, Jon Berti and Max Pentecost also had good nights for the ‘Cats, with each grabbing a pair of RBI.
Andrew Ely finally put Binghamton back into the lead with a two-run homer, followed by an inside-the-park home run by Joey Terdoslavich on the next at-bat.
Cavan Biggio was ejected for arguing balls and strikes following the first out in the bottom of the ninth, but the Fisher Cats were able to score one last run before Binghamton sealed the victory.
Neither starting pitcher factored into the decision, as Binghamton starter Justin Dunn didn’t last much longer than Romano, leaving during the Fisher Cats’ fourth inning barrage.
Instead, Dusty Issacs got the loss for New Hampshire following his implosion in the ninth while the win went to Binghamton’s Joshua Torres.
Friday’s contest marked the longest game of the Fisher Cats’ season to date, lasting three hours and 36 minutes, a minute longer than the 20-8 debacle against Richmond on August 2.
Both teams meet again on Saturday night as Hector Perez (0-1, 2.50 ERA) takes the mound for New Hampshire against Binghamton’s Nabil Crismatt (8-5, 3.58 ERA).
Crismatt faced New Hampshire three times so far this season, going 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA in those contests.
