EL1 Reading Fightin Phils

Fightins Sting B-Mets with Ninth Inning Rally

August 13, 2013 - Eastern League (EL1)
Reading Fightin Phils News Release


READING, Pa.---Anthony Hewitt hit a game-tying single with the bases loaded and Sebastian Valle scored the winning run during the next at-bat to lead the Reading Fightin Phils (52-68) to a 7-6 come-from-behind-win over the first-place Binghamton Mets (75-47) in front of 6,317 fans at FirstEnergy Stadium Tuesday night.

The Fightins found themselves trailing by two runs after Allan Dykstra capped off a four run seventh inning with a three-run homer in the seventh inning. They cut the Binghamton lead in half during the eighth inning when Hewitt scored on a sacrifice double play that commenced when Jim Murphy flew out to center field. Maikel Franco was then doubled up off first base to end the inning.

Juan Sosa struck out one in second of his two scoreless innings to keep Reading behind by just one run in the ninth. The Fightins resumed their rally in the final frame of the game when Matt Tolbert dropped a base hit to center field. Valle doubled for his third hit of the night to put two on for Reading. Pinch-hitter John Suomi was issued an intentional walk to load the bases for Hewitt.

Hewitt squeezed a grounder between first and second base to drive home Tolbert for the tying run. An at-bat later, reliever Jeff Walters threw a wild pitch on the first pitch of Albert Cartwright's at-bat, evoking Valle to sprint home and score the decisive run.

Before the Mets took the lead in the seventh inning, the Fightins controlled the game by the hand of starting pitcher Jesse Biddle. The southpaw struck out nine batters across six innings and 109 pitches, 73 of which were strikes. His only two runs surrendered came on RBI singles from Blake Forsythe and Josh Rodriguez in the second and third inning, respectively.

Reeling after a rough month of July where he went 1-3 with a 7.11 ERA, Biddle continued to rebound in August with his performance against the B-Mets. In three starts during the month, the top Phillies prospect holds a 2.65 ERA with 20 strikeouts and 12 walks.

Biddle was in line for the win before the seventh after the Fightins grabbed an early lead. In the first inning, Zach Collier drove home Cartwright on the first of his two triples for the team's first run. An inning later, Collier grounded out, but drove home Valle, who hit a lead off double. Franco ripped a two-out, two-run double down the left field line to finish off the scoring in the inning.

Valle paced the team by going 3-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored. Collier's hot-hitting month of August continued, as the outfielder went 2-for-3 with two triples and two RBIs. Aside from Biddle and Suomi (who walked), every Fightins hitters recorded a hit in the win.

The Fightins will call upon RHP Brody Colvin (3-2, 6.46 ERA) on Wednesday against Kutztown alum LHP Darin Gorski (4-1, 1.76 ERA) and the Mets. Tune into Oldies 1340 WRAW-AM or MiLB.TV for the game broadcast with Fightins play-by-play announcer Anthony Oppermann at 6:35 p.m.

Fightins Fillers: Collier is now hitting .359 in the month of August. Through 11 games, he's 14-for-39 two XBH and six runs scored. His average has lifted from .191 to .208...Reading sent Binghamton to just their second loss when leading after eighth inning (56-2).

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Eastern League Stories from August 13, 2013


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