EL1 Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Errors Hold Back B-Mets in 7-6 Loss to Akron

Published on May 31, 2010 under Eastern League (EL1)
Binghamton Rumble Ponies News Release


Luis Hernandez ripped a pair of doubles and scored twice, but Binghamton committed three errors and issued eight walks to help Akron to a 7-6 victory at NYSEG Stadium Monday afternoon. Eric Niesen tied a season-high with five walks over 3 2/3 innings in his second start since returning from the disabled list.

The tone was set early for a slugfest. Lonnie Chisenhall reached with a one-out single to get Akron rolling in the first. After Niesen walked Jared Goedert, Matt McBride hit a groundball to third that appeared to be a double-play ball. Third baseman Eric Campbell fired to second for the second out, but Reese Havens' relay to first was errant, allowing Chisenhall to motor home to give the Aeros an early 1-0 lead.

Binghamton (24-26) answered in the bottom of the frame. Lefty Kelvin De La Cruz walked Kirk Nieuwenhuis on five pitches to start. Hernandez plated Nieuwenhuis with a double into the left-field corner and advanced to third on Cristo Arnal's wild relay to the plate. Nick Evans followed with a bloop single to center, scoring Hernandez to vault the B-Mets into the lead 2-1.

Akron (21-30) regained the lead in the third. Niesen hit Chisenhall with a pitch to start the inning. Goedert followed with an opposite-field homer to right, putting the Aeros back in front 3-2.

Like the first inning, Binghamton answered in the last of the inning. Hernandez doubled with one out off De La Cruz and was joined on base when the lefty walked Evans. Eric Campbell plated both men with a double down the line in left, to leapfrog the B-Mets to a 4-3 advantage.

The Aeros retook the lead in the fourth without the benefit of a hit. Niesen walked two men with one out and induced a chopper to second that had the potential to be an inning-ending double play. However, Reese Havens mishandled the ball resulting in one run scoring. The go-ahead run came across on a Chisenhall groundout to short.

Nieuwenhuis provided the punch to answer the unearned runs allowed in the top of the fourth. He smashed a hanging breaking ball from De La Cruz over the right-centerfield wall for a two-out, two-run homer, giving the B-Mets the lead back at 6-5.

In the fifth, Akron rallied to tie on an RBI single from Cord Phelps off reliever Derrick Ellison.

The Aeros broke the 6-6 deadlock in the seventh. Scott Shaw walked Tim Fedroff to start the inning. Cristo Arnal followed with a bunt to move Fedroff up. Shaw fielded the bunt and had to wait on Havens to get over to the first base bag. The throw carried Havens into the path of the runner, resulting in a collision that jarred the ball loose. Fedroff took third on the botched play. He scored the game-winning run from there on John Drennen's sac fly to center.

De La Cruz struggled, but lasted five innings. The lefty permitted six runs - five earned - on six hits with four walks and garnered a no-decision. The Akron bullpen proved instrumental in the Aeros win. Connor Graham tossed two, shutout innings for the win and Omar Aguilar notched the save with two, scoreless innings of his own, despite loading the bases in the ninth.

Shaw was the hard-luck loser. He hurled four innings of one-run work in his second appearance out of the bullpen since being removed from the starting rotation.

Binghamton opens up a six-game road swing Tuesday night at 7:05 PM with the first of three with the Bowie Baysox. The B-Mets will look to RHP Chris Schwinden (1-1, 5.40) and Bowie will send RHP Steve Johnson (1-3, 4.44) to the hill. 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 May 31, 2010


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