Binghamton Rumble Ponies (9-8) 4,  Akron RubberDucks (8-11) 1 Box Score

• Champ Stuart RF: 2 for 3, 3 SB, 2 R, BB
• David Thompson 3B: 1 for 4, HR, RBI, R
• Patrick Biondi CF: 2 for 4

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies took the rubber game of the Akron RubberDucks series by a score of 4-1 Wednesday. The Rumble Ponies jumped to the early lead in the first inning with some small ball. Champ Stuart led off with a single on a bunt ground ball down the third base line, and promptly stole second for his 7th stolen base of the season. Luis Guillorme sacrificed Stuart to third on a bunt, and number three-hitter Kevin Kaczmarksi drove him in with a groundout to short.

Third baseman David Thompson smacked his first home run of the year, a solo shot in the fourth. Along with his first inning stolen base, Stuart added two more on the night for an Eastern League leading nine.

• RHP Corey Oswalt (2-2, 3.13 ERA): 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO
• LHP Kyle Regnault (1-0, 0.00 ERA): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, SO, Hold (2)
• RHP Tim Peterson (0-0, 0.00 ERA): IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, SO, Save (1)

Right-hander Corey Oswalt registered his second best start of the year, with his first coming in his last start against Erie SeaWolves. Oswalt pitched six innings, allowing one unearned run on four hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts on 97 pitches. He lowered his ERA more than a run from 4.24 to 3.13.

St. Lucie Mets (8-12) 8,  Lakeland Flying Tigers (11-9) 7 Box Score

• Wuilmer Becerra DH: 3 for 5, 2B, 4 RBI
• Brandon Nimmo CF: 1 for 3, 2B, 3 R, 2 RBIs, BB
• Patrick Mazeika C: 1 for 3, HR, RBI, R, BB

The St. Lucie Mets had a 8-4 lead after four innings, thanks in part to Wuilmer Becerra‘s RBI single in the first, driving in a rehabbing Brandon Nimmo who walked to leadoff the inning and was playing center field. Becerra drove in his second of four runs on the night in the second with an RBI double, and in the following inning Nimmo drove in a run with a double to center. Catcher Patrick Mazeika added a solo homer in the fourth on a fly ball to left. This was Becerra’s seventh multi-hit game of this season.

• RHP Justin Dunn (1-1, 6.30 ERA): 6 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO
• RHP Darwin Ramos (0-0, 4.32 ERA): 2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, SO
• RHP Alex Palsha (0-1, 2.89 ERA): IP, H, 2 BB, Save (2)

Justin Dunn made his fourth start of the year for the St. Lucie Mets, appearing in a career high six innings and picking up his first 2017 victory. It was also Dunn’s first victory as a starter, as the one win he recorded in ’16 was out of the bullpen for Brooklyn. Dunn struggled in the second inning, serving up a solo home run to the leadoff batter, followed by a triple and a run scoring single. Harold Castro doubled in Ben Verlander to give Lakeland a 4-1 lead. But those would be the last runs Dunn would surrender, as Dunn posted zeroes in the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth, striking out two in his final frame.

Columbia Fireflies (12-9) 5, Asheville Tourists (10-11) 0 Box Score

• Michael Paez SS: 2 for 4, HR, 2B, RBI, R
• Tim Tebow DH: 3 for 4, 3B, 2 R
• Gene Cone LF: 1 for 4, 2B, 2 RBIs

The Columbia Fireflies defeated the Asheville Tourists 5-0 Wednesday, their sixth shutout victory of the season, behind offensive performances from Tim Tebow, Michael Paez, and Gene Cone. A three-run second inning for the FireFlies got the offense started, as Ali Sanchez drove in the first run with a sac-fly to center before Gene Cone doubled in Tebow and Jose Miguel Medina to give the FireFlies the early 3-0 lead. Paez had his fourth multi-hit game of the season, including a solo home run in the third inning, his 2nd of the season. Tim Tebow hit his first triple of the season in the sixth and scored two runs. Tebow was robbed of a possible home run that would have given him the cycle in the eighth inning.

• RHP Merandy Gonzalez (4-0, 0.00 ERA): 7.2 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 HB, 5 SO
• RHP Matt Blackham (1-0, 0.90 ERA): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 2 SO

Merandy Gonzalez continued to impress in his fourth start, matching a career high in innings pitched (7.2), and still without issuing a run. The 21-year-old scattered five hits to the Asheville Tourists, and worked out of trouble in the third after a one-out triple by Robbie Perkins. Gonzalez induced an inning ending double play to the ensuing batter Manuel Melendez, with first baseman Dash Winningham throwing home to Ali Sanchez to catch Perkins trying to score. Gonzalez is now tied with teammate Jordan Humphreys with the most wins in the Mets’ system with four.

The Las Vegas 51s had the night off.