Rumble Ponies Walk-Off Game Two to Split Doubleheader with RubberDucks on Thursday

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – The Binghamton Rumble Ponies (8-9) split the doubleheader with the Akron RubberDucks (9-9) at Mirabito Stadium on Thursday night, with a walk-off single from Mateo Gil to win the second game.

Game One: RubberDucks 5, Rumble Ponies 2

The Rumble Ponies took a 2-1 lead in the second inning with a solo home run from Jose Peroza and Hayden Senger reached on a walk and eventually scored on a wild pitch.

Akron tied the game in the next half inning with an RBI double from José Tena that drove in Angel Martínez to make it 2-2. The RubberDucks would add three more in the sixth with an RBI double from Gabriel Rodríguez and a two-run home run from Petey Halpin, which made it 5-2.

Binghamton threatened in the sixth, when Rowdey Jordan came up to the plate as the tying run and belted a fly ball to centerfield that would have been a game-tying three-run shot but Halpin made a home run-robbing catch. The RubberDucks held on with Cade Smith’s 1-2-3 ninth inning.

New York Mets reliever Stephen Nogosek made a rehab appearance out of the bullpen and tossed 1.2 innings, allowed three runs on two hits with three walks and one strikeout.

Game Two: Rumble Ponies 4, RubberDucks 3 (8 Inn.)

Binghamton got on the board first with an RBI single from Peroza in the first inning to make it 1-0. The Rumble Ponies added another run in the third, when Dariel Gomez smacked an RBI double into the right-center gap, driving in Brandon McIlwain.

Akron took the lead in the fifth with a solo home run from Rodríguez and RBI singles from Seth Caddell and Halpin, which made it 3-2.

The Rumble Ponies fought back in the final frame with three-straight hits to start the inning, and Matt O’Neill smacked a game-tying RBI double to make it 3-3.

Manny Alvarez tossed a scoreless eighth in extra innings. With one out in the frame, Gil ripped a walk-off RBI single into center field, driving in pinch-runner Matt Rudick to win the game 4-3. It was Binghamton’s first walk-off win of the season and first doubleheader of the year.

The Rumble Ponies continue their series with the RubberDucks on Friday, with Justin Verlander scheduled to make a rehab start. First pitch at 1:00 PM and pregame coverage getting underway at 12:45 PM on Newsradio 1290 WNBF and 92.1 FM.

Postgame Notes: Wyatt Young reached base five times in the two games…Peroza had two runs batted in during the doubleheader…Dom Hamel started the first game of the day and tossed 4.1 innings with seven strikeouts.