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Binghamton 6, Altoona 2

Cory Vaughn drove in four runs in his first game as a B-Met since June 2 as Binghamton topped Altoona, 6-2 in the first game. Major League rehabber Jon Niese threw five innings and earned the victory on the mound.

Niese’s rehab start got off on the wrong foot. Alen Hanson hit a hard ground ball down the left field line to start the game, and scored two batters later on an RBI single by Gregory Polanco. In the bottom half of the first, the B-Mets returned the favor.

For the ninth straight game, Danny Muno hit in the leadoff spot and successfully reached base. He got on first base with a five-pitch walk, and Travis d’Arnaud followed with a double into left field. Mel Rojas Jr. misplayed the ball by kicking it into the corner, allowing Muno to score all the way from first base.

In the second Altoona re-took the lead on a fielder’s choice by Drew Maggi. Niese walked two in the frame, and the Curve took a 2-1 lead. The lead did not last long, as Binghamton’s bats came up big in the third.

With two outs and nobody on base, Josh Rodriguez started the rally with a ground-rule double to centerfield. Allan Dykstra then walked, putting two runners on base for Vaughn. He came through for the team by blasting a three-run shot over the left-centerfield wall to give Binghamton a 4-2 lead. They added to the lead with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Travis Taijeron hit a solo home run to lead off the fourth inning, and Vaughn knocked an RBI double down the left field line for the final insurance run in the fifth.

Niese ended his rehab start with the B-Mets after five innings. The lefty allowed two runs on four hits, but struck out six and earned the victory on the mound. Adam Kolarek tossed the final two innings and did not allow a run.

Binghamton 6, Altoona 1

Mark Cohoon threw a complete game and scattered four hits as the B-Mets beat the Curve, 6-1 to complete the sweep in the nightcap. Binghamton scored all six of their runs in the first three innings, and Cory Vaughn added two RBI in the victory.

The only knock against Cohoon came in the top of the first inning. Adalberto Santos lined a one-out double to left field, and scored on a B-Met fielding error two batters later for the first run of the game.

In the bottom of the first, Binghamton jumped all over Zack Dodson who was making his Double-A debut. After walking the first two batters of the game, Vaughn tied the game with an RBI single to centerfield. Rhyne Hughes followed with an RBI single off of the left field wall to give the B-Mets and early 2-1 lead. They tacked on another run in the first when Vaughn scored on a double play.

In the second, Vaughn brought Wilfredo Tovar home on a sacrifice fly to centerfield. The final runs of the night came in the bottom of the third for Binghamton. With a runner on first, Blake Forsythe doubled into the gap to score Travis Taijeron. Two batters later, Tovar hit a sacrifice fly to give the B-Mets a 6-1 lead in the third.

That cushion was plenty for Cohoon. After allowing an unearned run in the first inning, he retired 12 straight until he gave up a two-out single in the fifth. The lefty allowed two more hits in the seventh, but did not allow a run to earn his seventh win of the season. It was the third complete game thrown by a B-Met this season, but the first complete game that has resulted in a victory.

Key Stats

Cory Vaughn: 4-for-6, 1 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 2 R

Travis Taijeron: 2-for-5, 1 HR, 1 BB, 1 RBI, 1 R

Josh Rodriguez: 3-for-4, 1 2B, 3 BB, 3 R

Mark Cohoon: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 K

Jon Niese: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 2 ER, 6 K

Adam Kolarek: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 4 K

(Team Report)