EL1 Binghamton Rumble Ponies

A Tale of Two Ballgames: B-Mets Split Twin Bill with Portland

Published on July 2, 2010 under Eastern League (EL1)
Binghamton Rumble Ponies News Release


Schwinden tossed a complete-game shutout to beat the Sea Dogs 10-0 in Game 1 of Friday night's doubleheader at NYSEG Stadium, but Portland returned the favor in the nightcap with a 10-2 rout to split the twin bill. Schwinden carried a perfect game into the seventh before allowing a leadoff single to Che-Hsuan Lin.

Like Schwinden, Alex Wilson worked the first three innings in scoreless fashion and was cruising, having retired the first two men in the fourth before Raul Reyes teed off. The rightfielder took Wilson out to right, for his fifth homer in nine games with Binghamton (42-39). The B-Mets were not done though as Mike Nickeas followed with a walk. He then stole second on a botched hit-and-run. It was his first stolen base since May 9, 2007. Jose Coronado drove him home with a single to right. Two batters later, Michael Fisher plated Coronado with an RBI single to center, making it 3-0.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis got the fourth off to a promising start, driving a Wilson fastball out to right for his 11th homer of the year. The righty allowed the next three men to reach and was knocked out of the game after a Nickeas two-run double off the wall in left. Jason Rice spelled the starter and walked Coronado to start his outing. Jon Malo made him pay for the walk, hitting a first-pitch fastball out to left for a three-run homer, upping the lead to 10-0.

Lin singled on the second pitch from Schwinden in the seventh, ending the right-hander's bid for a perfect game. With two outs, Luis Exposito joined Lin on base with a double to right, but Schwinden stranded both when Anthony Rizzo flew out to deep center, sealing the two-hit shutout. It was Schwinden's first professional shutout.

Game 2 was a complete contrast to the first game. Scott Shaw started and allowed a run in the first without the benefit of a hit. The spot-starter walked two and a hit a batter in the opening frame to load the bases. Yamaico Navarro made it stick with a sacrifice fly to left, pitting Portland (41-39) a 1-0 lead.

Rizzo upped the margin to three with a two-run blast to right off Shaw in the third, his seventh of the year with the Sea Dogs.

Binghamton closed the gap in the fifth. Coronado and Salomon Manriquez singled to start the stanza off starter Ryne Lawson. Michael Fisher followed and reached on a fielder's choice that saw Manriquez forced at second. Then, Malo got the B-Mets on the board with a ringing single to right, chasing home Coronado. A passed ball moved the runners up to second and third with one out. Nieuwenhuis capitalized on the mistake with a sac fly to center, plating Fisher to move the B-Mets within a run.

However, Portland responded with a four-run sixth, including a Navarro three-run homer off lefty Roy Merritt, advancing the lead to five, 7-2.

Emary Frederick struggled with his command in the seventh, facing eight hitters in giving up three additional runs to provide the final score of 10-2.

Lawson notched the win in his first start of the year. The spot-starter worked five innings and allowed two runs - one earned - on four hits. Shaw was hung with his sixth loss for allowing three runs over three-plus innings.

The series continues Saturday night at 7:05 PM as RHP Josh Stinson (4-1, 3.04) gets the call for Binghamton and will be opposed by RHP Jeremy Kehrt (1-4, 2.97) of Portland. The radio broadcast on Newsradio 1290 WNBF begins at 6:50 PM with the Horizons Federal Credit Union Pre-Game Show.

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Eastern League Stories from July 2, 2010


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