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Conforto Lifts B-Mets To 3-2 Win Over Trenton

By John Bernhardt

July 19, 2015 No comments

michael Conforto

The Flushing chorus clamoring for Binghamton leftfielder Michael Conforto to get the call to Citi Field will likely reach deafening decibel levels as Met fans learn the B-Met slugger’s two-run, fifth inning blast lifted the B-Mets past first place Trenton, 3-2, Saturday night.

Conforto got all of a Jose De La Cruz 86 mph off-speed offering muscling a long shot over the right field wall to give Binghamton a lead they would not surrender. The victory drew the B-Mets within 1.5 games of the Eastern League’s Eastern Division leading Thunder.

The 2014 first rounder had a great night at the plate beating out an infield single in the first inning, getting hit by a pitch in the third, blasting his game winning shot in the fifth and lofting a long fly ball to the warning track in centerfield in the home eighth.

A single and double in Friday night’s 6-3 win over Trenton makes Conforto 4-for-7 in Binghamton’s back-to-back victories over Trenton as the B-Mets scratch and claw to get back in the Eastern Division title chase.

Conforto’s home run shot secured a brilliant pitching effort by Binghamton’s Robert Gsellman. Gsellman worked an efficient and effective seven innings on the hill surrendering just two unearned runs while allowing only two hits.

Using an array of pitches anchored by a low 90’s fast ball that once touched 95, Gsellman had the Trenton batters off balance for most of his outing. The B-Met right-hander mowed down the first ten batters he faced. It looked like Gsellman’s 83 mph curveball had fanned Trenton’s Jake Cave, but the umpire called the pitch a ball, and Cave then worked a base-on-balls.

Gsellman got Ali Costillo to pop-up to second base and appeared to be out of the inning when Tony Renda his a soft ground ball to shortstop, but, choosing to attempt a force at second base, Gavin Cecchini threw the ball into right field. Mark Payton took advantage of the miscue lining the first pitch he saw into the gap in left-center field for Trenton’s first hit, a two run double.

Cecchini got Gsellman in trouble again in the visitor’s seventh. Dan Fiorito led off the inning for Trenton with a walk with a sacrifice bunt moving Fiorito into scoring position. When Cito Culver hit a ground ball to short, Fiorito mistakenly took off for third, but a second Cecchini overthrow allowed him to arrive safely putting runners on the corners with only one out.

Eddy Rodriquez lifted a high fly ball to fairly deep center-field that Brandon Nimmo pulled down for the second out. No one in the park thought Nimmo had a chance to throw out the tagging Fiorito, but the B-Met centerfielder uncorked a cannon that reached home plate in the air, and Binghamton catcher Albert Cordero slapped on the tag to preserve the B-Met lead.
Adam Kolarek and John Valasquez each worked a scoreless inning of relief with Valasquez picking up his 13th save in 14 chances.

Cecchini reached base three times in the contest with a single, a walk and a Trenton infield error. The B-Met shortstop scored two of his team’s three runs.