EL1 Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Hernandez, B-Mets Shock Altoona 7-6 in Ninth

June 28, 2010 - Eastern League (EL1)
Binghamton Rumble Ponies News Release


Luis Hernandez capped a feverish, six-run rally in the ninth with a two-run double, giving Binghamton a 7-6 walk-off win Monday night over Altoona amid the rain at NYSEG Stadium. It was the B-Mets fifth straight win and 10th in their last 13 games.

Binghamton (40-36) entered the bottom of the ninth in a 6-1 hole. Diego Moreno was summoned from the bullpen to finish out the affair for the Curve. However, the B-Mets had other ideas. Hernandez drew a walk on four pitches to open the inning. After Nick Evans struck out, Marshall Hubbard lined a single to left. A steady rain began to fall with the two runners on, leading to Sean Ratliff. Ratliff yanked a fastball from Moreno deep and out to right, bringing Binghamton back into the picture, 6-4. It was Ratliff's second homer in as many games and fifth with the B-Mets.

An unsettled Moreno proceeded to walk Mike Nickeas and permit a ringing single through the left side of the infield to pinch-hitter Salomon Manriquez, putting the tying runs aboard. Jeff Sues was called on to put out the fire and promptly got the Curve within an out of the win by striking out Josh Satin. However, Jose Coronado followed with an RBI single, plating Nickeas to move Binghamton within a run. Sues walked the next man, Kirk Nieuwenhuis to load the bases for Hernandez. With a 2-2 count, the veteran shortstop hit a towering flyball to left-center that landed on the warning track, less than a foot out of the reach of Altoona centerfielder Gorkys Hernandez. Manriquez and Coronado came home to score, giving the B-Mets the stunning victory.

The rally spoiled a brilliant start by Curve right-hander Bryan Morris, who tied a season-best with seven innings of one-run work, featuring six strikeouts.

Altoona (39-27) jumped on B-Mets righty Josh Stinson in the second frame. Brandon Jones and Kris Watts ripped back-to-back singles with one out. Anthony Norman followed and reached on a fielder's choice to second, scoring Jones to put the Curve ahead 1-0. Morris extended the inning when he reached on a wild pitch after striking out on a slider in the dirt. Chase d'Arnaud made it count with a bases-clearing triple to left-center, upping the lead to three.

After Stinson hit Josh Harrison with a pitch to start the third, Matt Hague cashed in with a two-run blast to left, his sixth, making it 5-0 Curve. Stinson was pinch-hit for in the last of the fifth, ending his outing. He gave up a season-high five runs over five innings and left on the hook.

The B-Mets finally tallied in the fifth. Morris, who had faced the minimum through four, walked Ratliff with one out. With two gone, Raul Reyes blooped a single into right-center, plating Ratliff to cut the lead to four. Reyes has now recorded hits in all five of his contests since joining Binghamton last week from High-A St. Lucie.

Altoona responded with a run in seventh off reliever Scott Shaw. Harrison doubled to left leading off the inning. Two hitters later, Jordy Mercer drove him home with a single to right, his third knock of the game, advancing the lead back to five runs.

Edgar Ramirez backed into the win with two innings of stellar relief. Ramirez allowed two hits and struck out a man en route to his fourth victory.

The B-Mets aim for their fifth straight series win in the middle game of the threegame set Tuesday at 6:35 PM. LHP Eric Niesen (3-3, 2.66) goes for Binghamton and Altoona counters with the Eastern League leader in wins RHP Jared Hughes (10-3, 3.83). The radio broadcast on Newsradio 1290 WNBF begins at 6:20 PM with the Horizons Federal Credit Union Pre-Game Show.

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