Ritter’s 3 HR’s Propel Ponies to Win over Fightins in Series Finale at Reading

READING, PA – Luke Ritter blasted three home runs and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (28-28) held off the Reading Fightin Phils 8-6 on Sunday night at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Rumble Ponies took five of the six games in the series and finished their season-long 12-game road trip 6-6.

Ritter hit a two-run bomb off the right center field façade of the Redner’s Events Center in the first to put the Ponies up 2-0. He then demolished a solo shot way over the left center field wall in the third to put Binghamton up 3-0. In the fourth, Ritter belted a solo homer to the back row of seats in left field to extend the Binghamton lead to 6-0.

Ritter finished the game 3-for-4 with four RBI and four runs scored, reaching base four times. He closed out the six-game series in Reading with five home runs and 13 RBI. Over the 12-game road trip he has nine home runs and 17 RBI. Over the last 15 games he has 11 home runs and 21 RBI. For the season, Ritter has 14 home runs and 29 RBI.

Ritter is the second Rumble Ponies player this season to have a three-homer game. Jose Peroza also hit three home runs against Hartford on May 9^th vs. Hartford.

Rowdey Jordan also crushed two solo home runs, in the fourth and the eighth. Jordan hit four home runs in the series and now has seven for the year. His second homer put the Ponies up 8-4. Jordan finished the game with two hits, two RBI, and three runs scored.

Reading (21-35) would score two in the ninth before Dylan Hall came in to face Ethan Wilson with the bases loaded and two out. Wilson flew out to right to end the game as Hall earned his third save of the year.

Agustin Ruiz also added a pair of RBI singles in the fourth and the seventh, reaching base three times.

RHP Junior Santos allowed two hits over three scoreless frames in the start with no walks and three strikeouts. LHP Tyler Thomas (1-0), making his Rumble Ponies debut, allowed only one hit over two scoreless innings and was awarded the win. RHP Nolan Clenney pitched an inning and a third of perfect relief with two strikeouts.

The Rumble Ponies return home to open a six-game series with the Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox Double-A Affiliate) on Tuesday night with first pitch at 6:35 PM and the NYCM Insurance Pregame Show getting underway at 6:20 PM.

Postgame Notes: It is the second time this series Jordan and Ritter have hit back-to-back home runs in a series…Before Peroza and Ritter had three-homer games this season, Binghamton had not achieved that feat since Jhuan Ureña did it in August of 2018.