Binghamton, N.Y. – The Binghamton Rumble Ponies (11-21) dropped both games of the doubleheader to the Hartford Yard Goats (16-16) from Mirabito Stadium. Hartford took the series five games to one.
Game 1: Hartford, 5 Binghamton 2
Hartford got on the board first in the top of the second inning, jumping out to a 2-0 lead. Right fielder Zach Kokaska belted a two-run shot down the right field line and brought in catcher Cole Messina, who had a one-out single.
The Rumble Ponies tied the game in the bottom of the second inning. Designated hitter Eli Serrano III tallied his eighth double and 12th extra-base hit of the year, with a two-run double. He scored right fielder Matt Rudick and second baseman Diego Mosquera, who both walked.
Right-hander Irving Cota (0-1) got the ball for Binghamton, making his second career Double-A start, and was hit around 4.2 innings. He surrendered nine hits and allowed five earned runs. Cota did not walk a batter and struck out four.
In the top of the third inning, Cota was allowed two runs, and Hartford took a 4-2 lead. The Yard Goats used four hits in the inning as the first three reached base, with Messina bringing in a run on a hit by pitch and Ko-kah-skuh slapping an RBI single.
The Yard Goats got insurance in the top of the fifth inning off of Cota as second baseman Roc Riggio belted his third home run of the series. Hartford hit 10 home runs in the six-game set and had 18 extra-base hits.
Right-hander Connor Staine (2-1) got the start for Hartford and got the win. He went 5.0 innings, allowing two hits, one earned run, and struck out six. The bullpen was flawless, as right-hander Fidel Ulloa, left-hander Sam Weatherly, and right-hander Victor Juarez, who got the save (5), combined to just surrender two hits.
Binghamton left six on base and went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position to fall to 11-20 in the 5-2 loss.
Game 2: Hartford 5, Binghamton 0
The Yard Goats exploded in the top of the second inning, chalking up six hits and five runs to take a 5-0 lead. Kokaska highlighted the inning with a three-run blast, his second homer of the doubleheader.
The home run for Kokaska set a Hartford franchise record of 38 career home runs.
Right-hander R.J. Gordon (0-1) made his season debut for Binghamton but did not finish two innings and allowed seven hits and four earned runs.
The Rumble Ponies' bullpen was outstanding, using four pitchers. Left-hander Matt Turner, right-hander Brian Metoyer, and right-hander Douglas Orellana all did not surrender a hit. Left-hander Felipe De La Cruz got the ball in the seventh inning and allowed one hit.
Left-hander Evan Shauver made his first start since 2024 for Hartford and looked good over 2.1 innings, only allowing one hit, walking two, while striking out three.
Binghamton was 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left four on base in the loss. They tallied four hits, and the Rumble Ponies fell to 11-21. They have lost four straight.
The Rumble Ponies begin a six-game road series on Tuesday night in Bridgewater, New Jersey, from TD Bank Ballpark against the Somerset Patriots (Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees). First pitch is at 6:05 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on SNY and WNBF News Radio 1290 & 92.1 FM.
Postgame Notes: Eli Serrano III tallied his 12th extrabase hit and eighth double (G1: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI)...Wyatt Young tallied his fourth multi-hit game in game two (G1/G2: 3-for-6, 2B)...Douglas Orellana (2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO)...José Ramos (G1: 1-for-2, BB).