July 21, 2004 - Eastern League (EL) Binghamton Mets
Binghamton, N.Y.--Chris Basak doubled home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth for the Binghamton Mets for a 2-1 win over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at NYSEG Stadium in the Eastern League Wednesday.Basak had flied out to right twice during the game but off of New Hampshire reliever John Ogiltree (1-4) Basak finally got enough bat on the ball to get the rock to the wall over the head of Fisher Cats' rightfielder Maikel Jova.
The one-out double scored Jeff Duncan who walked off the sidearm pitching Ogiltree to leadoff the ninth.
It was the 17th last at-bat win for the B-Mets this season.
"It's like you can count on almost everybody on this team," Basak said. "We just put ourselves in position to win. After the last couple of nights, losing two games to those guys, we knew we needed to get a couple of more hits. It was a much bigger game for us after the last two nights."
The win gave Binghamton a two game cushion in the North Division as New Hampshire had hoped to catch the B-Mets during the series.
"It was a big game, and tonight's a big game also," Binghamton manager Ken Oberkfell said. "If we can win and get a split I'll be very happy. That would be four games off the schedule and no ground lost."
With one game left in the four-game series the most New Hampshire can hope for is to once again pull within a game.
Duncan scored the first run of the game when he doubled off of New Hampshire starter Josh Banks and scored on a double by Josh Pressley.
Banks had seven strike outs and walked two over five innings. Banks allowed the one run on five Mets hits.
New Hampshire loaded the bases in the first inning but Binghamton starter Ken Chenard struck out Jova and Justin Singleton to end the threat.
Chenard settled down and kept the Fisher Cats off the board until the sixth. Aaron Hill walked to leadoff the sixth and scored on a double to left by Jova.
New Hampshire had a chance to take the lead in the ninth but when manager Mike Basso tried to manufacturer a run after Paul Chiaffredo had a leadoff single the Fisher Cats were unable to execute a sacrifice bunt.
Mike Snyder reached on a fielders choice but was caught stealing to but another damper on the Fisher Cats chances.
The strategy to move the runners really blew up in the Fisher Cats face when Danny Solano singled to right and Tyrell Godwin doubled to left-center field.
Blake McGinley (8-1) earned the win when he was able to fan pinch-hitter Victor Valencia and leave Solano stranded at third.
The Fisher Cats inability to score with runners in scoring position proved to be their undoing. New Hampshire stranded 10 runners in the game, leaving a man on third in the first, seventh and ninth innings.
The credit goes to Chenard and McGinley. Chenard had seven strike outs in six innings while walking three while McGinley had three strike outs and walked none over three innings.
In that fourth game tonight, righty Jason Scobie (3-2, 2.84) will take the mound for Binghamton against New Hampshire against righty Jamie Vermilyea (2-1, 2.83).
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