8/16/09

B-Mets 4, Reading 0




After squandering a two-run lead in Game 1 of the doubleheader, Binghamton responded with its sixth shutout win of the season to win 4-0 in the nightcap at First Energy Stadium Saturday night and earn a split with Reading. Chris Mason tossed five shutout innings and struck out five to earn his first win since joining the B-Mets August 7 from St. Lucie.

Binghamton (46-72) tallied a pair of runs off Game 2 starter Alex Concepcion in the third inning. Mason doubled to lead off the frame and was sacrificed to third by Ruben Tejada. Jose Coronado followed with an RBI single through the right side of the drawn in infield and was driven home on an opposite-field double from Ike Davis, pitting the B-Mets a 2-0 lead. Concepcion took the loss for allowing those two runs over three innings.

The B-Mets added insurance in the sixth against Pat Overholt, the loser from Friday’s game. After D.J. Wabick doubled to open the frame, Jonathan Malo mustered an RBI single with one out giving Binghamton a 3-0 lead. Overholt walked the next two after the Malo single loading the bases. Josh Thole pinch hit for Mason and brought Malo home with a sac fly to center, making it 4-0.

Derek Ellison hurled the final two innings in perfect fashion with a strikeout. He and Mason combined to retire the final 12 men consecutively to close the game.

Ike Davis got the scoring started in Game 1 with a two-run homer off starter Mike Cisco in the opening half inning. It was his 10th of the season, which leads the team.

After loading the bases with nobody out in the third inning, Cisco dodged a bullet by allowing just one run as Tejada came home to score on a Caleb Stewart double-play groundout.

Reading (64-55) struck the scoreboard first in home half of the third frame when Kevin Nelson led off the inning with a solo homer to left-centerfield to get within two, 3-1.

The B-Mets maintained their 3-1 lead all the way until the bottom of the seventh when Connor Robertson came on to seal the deal. Robertson allowed the first three to reach, thanks to a single, a walk and a hit by pitch. Robertson was then removed in favor of Jose De La Torre.

Nelson grounded to third resulting in a force at the plate to start De La Torre’s outing. Brian Stavisky pinch hit for Oscar Chavez with the bases full and one out and grounded out to first resulting in a run. Binghamton elected to intentionally walk Quintin Berry to load the bases for pinch-hitter Tim Kennelly. Kennelly grounded a single past Shawn Bowman at third that brought in two to complete the comeback win for the R-Phils, 4-3.

The loss wasted an excellent outing from starter Mike Antonini, who hurled six innings of one-run ball. He allowed just three hits and struck out six men in the no-decision.

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