BINGHAMTON, NY – The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (2-1) took down the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (1-2) with an 8-4 final on Sunday afternoon at Mirabito Stadium.
The scoring came in bunches; the Cats plated five runs in the top of the fourth and a three-spot in the eighth to take their first series of the season.
LHP Adam Macko (TOR No. 9, MLB Pipeline) struck out six in his Double-A debut, and after scuffling in the first, bounced back to retire 11 straight in his four innings.
Shortstop Josh Kasevich knocked a double and three singles, driving in four runs. Catcher Andres Sosa doubled twice, bringing two across to open the scoring.
Righty Hunter Gregory (W, 1-0) looked sharp in his first appearance of the year, tossing three scoreless innings and striking out five. Eric Pardinho and Jimmy Burnette finished off the final two innings, combining for three Ks.
The New Hampshire offense racked up 12 hits. Six different Fisher Cats scored a run. Gabriel Martinez, Alan Roden, Kasevich and Sosa recorded multi-hit games.
The Fisher Cats primed the scoring in the fourth with Martinez’s first double of the season and a base hit for center fielder Garrett Spain. With runners at the corners, Sosa plated them both with a screamer off the left field wall to cut into Binghamton’s early deficit, 3-2.
After second baseman Miguel Hiraldo was drilled by a pitch for the second time in the series off his helmet, Roden served a line drive to right to score Sosa. Hiraldo ran aggresively, going first-to-third. Kasevich’s left-center field gap shot double cleared the bases, completing the five run frame.
Leading 5-3, New Hampshire found insurance in the eighth, beginning with walks from Spain and designated hitter Michael Turconi. Hiraldo pounded a ground ball into right field to score Spain, then back-to-back singles from Roden and Kasevich followed, with the latter plating both Turconi and Hiraldo to make it 8-3.
Binghamton scored three of its four runs in the bottom of the first. Binghamton right fielder Alex Ramirez hit a solo home run on the first pitch of the bottom of the eighth to end the day’s scoring.
New Hampshire heads home winners of two out of three; the Fisher Cats took Friday’s contest, 5-2, before the Rumble Ponies won 9-3 on Saturday.
The Fisher Cats open their 2024 home schedule on Tuesday, April 9 at Delta Dental Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 PM against the Somerset Patriots, Double-A affiliates of the New York Yankees. Both New Hampshire and Somerset starters are to be determined.