EL1 Binghamton Rumble Ponies

B-Mets Blast Two Homers, But Drop Opener At Erie, 7-3

Published on April 11, 2011 under Eastern League (EL1)
Binghamton Rumble Ponies News Release


Brahiam Maldonado and Kai Gronauer homered to give Binghamton an early lead, but Erie's four-run seventh inning propelled the SeaWolves past the B-Mets 7-3 at Jerry Uht Park Monday night. Bryan Pounds was the offensive hero for Erie with a 3-for-4 night including the game-tying and game-winning RBIs in the fifth and seventh innings, respectively.

Erie (3-2) got on the board first with a run in the third. Binghamton starter Brandon Moore retired the first six hitters he faced before walking Audy Ciriaco to start the frame. Ciriaco took second on a Moore balk. Deik Scram joined Ciriaco on base with a hard-hit single to left. Ciriaco was about to stop at third, but saw the ball squirt through Maldonado in left and roll to the wall, allowing him to score.

Maldonado atoned for the mistake in the fourth, however. After Eric Campbell singled with two outs, Maldonado muscled a majestic home run to left off SeaWovles starter Mark Sorenson to vault Binghamton (2-3) into the lead, 2-1.

Gronauer added to the lead in the fifth with a one-out homer off Sorenson for his first Double-A shot.

The SeaWolves countered in their half of the fifth to tie the score. Scram led off with a double. Two batters later, he scored on a double by Jamie Johnson, cutting the B-Mets lead to one. After Moore got Brandon Douglas to fly out for the second out of the inning, Roy Merritt entered. The lefty reliever proceeded to walk Michael Bertram before allowing a game-tying single to Pounds.

Moore was charged with three runs on four hits over 4 2/3 innings in his 2011 debut. Sorenson sported a similar line with three runs allowed over five innings. Neither hurler factored in the decision.

With the score tied, the battle of the bullpens leaned toward Erie as Austin Wood took over for Sorenson in the sixth. The southpaw would go on to hurl three, hitless innings with six strikeouts to earn the win.

Meanwhile, the SeaWolves bats came to life in the seventh. Jamie Johnson worked a leadoff walk against Eric Niesen. After Douglas popped out to Gronauer on a botched

bunt, Bertram singled to left, setting the stage for Pounds. With runners at the corners, the Erie designated hitter smoked a double off the wall in left to plate Johnson with the winning run. A wild pitch and a pair of RBI singles from Francisco Martinez and Audy Ciriaco capped the scoring at four runs in the frame.

Niesen was hung with the loss. He was charged with three earned runs in a third of an inning.

Binghamton looks to even the series Tuesday at 6:35 PM in the middle game of the three-game set. RHP Josh Stinson (1-0, 0.00) will take the hill for the B-Mets against RHP Jacob Turner (0-0, 0.00). The Horizons Federal Credit Union Pre-Game Show begins at 6:20 PM on Newsradio 1290 WNBF.

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Eastern League Stories from April 11, 2011


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