Binghamton 8, Portland 5
Joe Bonfe pounded out four hits, including a go-ahead two-run single in the sixth inning, to lead the Binghamton Mets past the Portland Sea Dogs, 8-5, on Sunday afternoon at Hadlock Field. The B-Mets matched a season-high with 14 hits and secured their second-straight series victory with the rubber match win.
For the third straight game, Binghamton hung up a run in the first inning. Cory Vaughn got the scoring started and plated Cesar Puello with a single to center off Portland starter Drake Britton. In second, Bonfe added with an RBI single and Danny Muno stretched the advantage to three with a run-scoring double to right.
The Sea Dogs erased the deficit with three runs in the third off B-Mets starter Cory Mazzoni. Heiker Meneses led off with a single and scored when Peter Hissey doubled to left field and Darrell Ceciliani fired a throw to second with no B-Met covering the base. Xander Bogaerts followed with an RBI single and scored later in the frame on a sac fly from Michael Almanzar.
Peter Hissey helped Portland grab the lead in the fifth. The Sea Dogs leadoff hitter pulled a triple down the line, his second in as many games, and scored the go-ahead run when Mazzoni bounced a wild pitch with Bogaerts at the plate.
After Britton held the B-Mets in check for three frames, the southpaw opened the door in the sixth by walking Richard Lucas and hitting Ceciliani. Bonfe did not let him off the hook and threaded a go-ahead, two-run single past Bogaerts at short. Josh Rodriguez added an insurance run with an RBI single off reliever Will Latimer to cap the inning.
Mazzoni preserved the lead with a scoreless sixth, but faltered in the seventh. After a single by Meneses, Bogaerts blasted an RBI double to left to cut Binghamton’s lead to one and end Mazzoni’s day.
John Church entered with the potential game-tying run on base and shut the door. The righty struck out Tony Thomas and Travis Shaw to end the inning and returned to post a perfect eighth.
The B-Mets tacked on two insurance runs in the ninth against Pete Ruiz before handing off to Jack Leathersich. The southpaw worked a shutout ninth and earned his second save of the year.
Mazzoni (2-1) allowed five runs on ten hits to collect his second straight win. Britton (3-4) surrendered six runs on seven hits of 5-2/3 innings in his second consecutive loss.
The B-Mets (24-19) continue their week-long roadtrip and start a four-game series against the New Britain Rock Cats on Monday night at 6:35 PM at New Britain Stadium. RHP Logan Verrett takes the ball against LHP Pat Dean.
Key Stats
Daniel Muno: 2-for-4, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 RBI
Cesar Puello: 3-for-5, 2 R, 1 SB
Cory Vaughn: 2-for-5, 1 RBI, 1 R
Darrell Ceciliani: 1-for-4, 1 2B, 2 R
Joe Bonfe: 4-for-4, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R, 1 SB
Cory Mazzoni: 6.1 IP, 10 H, 1 BB, 5 ER, 4 K
John Church: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K
Jack Leathersich: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K
(Team Report)