BINGHAMTON, NY – The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (8-10) made it consecutive shutout victories against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (11-8) at Mirabito Stadium with a 1-0 win on Saturday afternoon. Left fielder Yohendrick Piñango’s two-out, RBI double in the top of the eighth was enough to stave off the Rumble Ponies.
On his 26th birthday, New Hampshire starter Ryan Watson fired his third consecutive quality start and tallied six strikeouts but received a no decision in the win. Watson responded to Binghamton third baseman Wyatt Young’s one-out triple with back-to-back punchouts to end his fifth inning and faced the minimum in the sixth to close out his day. Six strikeouts is a new Double-A high for the Sugar Hill, GA native.
Reliever Ryan Jennings (W, 2-1) entered after a short rain delay after the rain delay and threw two scoreless frames with three strikeouts. After Jennings held down the seventh and eighth innings, righty Hunter Gregory stranded two hits on base for his first save of the season.
Binghamton’s Jonathan Pintaro posted nine strikeouts in 5-2/3 scoreless innings against the Fisher Cats. Fellow righty Cameron Foster (L, 2-1) fell in line for the loss after allowing Piñango’s RBI double in the eighth.
After second baseman Ryan McCarty led off the top of the eighth inning with a walk, Piñango sent on an 0-2 breaking ball into the right field corner, which allowed McCarty to score from first, and gave New Hampshire the narrow 1-0 advantage.
Shortstop Jay Harry recorded his first Double-A double and finished Saturday’s game 1-for-4. Along with Piñango’s double, third baseman Alex De Jesus doubled for New Hampshire in the top of the second. Harry is 3-for-7 in his first two games with the Fisher Cats.