Rodriguez, Hughes Lead B-Mets to 6-5 Comeback Win

BINGHAMTON, NY – Rhyne Hughes’ three-run home run capped a four-run ninth inning comeback, and Josh Rodriguez’s walk-off double in the tenth pushed the Binghamton Mets past the Erie SeaWolves, 6-5 Saturday night at NYSEG Stadium.

Trailing 5-1 entering the ninth inning, Danny Muno got the comeback started with a double off the right field wall against Melvin Mercedes. Two batters later Cesar Puello grounded a ball to shortstop, and the throw couldn’t be picked out of the dirt which put runners at the corners with one out. Allan Dykstra followed by driving in the first run of the inning with a double into right-centerfield. After Travis Taijeron flied out to shallow centerfield, the B-Mets were down to their final out, still down 5-2. Hughes came up big with a no-doubt, three-run blast over the centerfield wall to tie the game, 5-5.

In the tenth, the offense kept up the momentum against Ryan Rebowski. Darrell Ceciliani led off with a walk, and moved up to third on a bunt from Wilfredo Tovar. His bunt went back to Rebowski on the mound, and the throw to first hit off of Tovar’s back and went down the right field line. Two batters later, Rodriguez hit a 3-0 fastball into the gap that bounced over the fence for a walk-off ground-rule double.

For the first eight innings of the game, Binghamton failed to solve Erie starter Jon Link. The lone offensive highlight came in the second inning when Taijeron launched a solo home run over the left field wall. In his Erie debut, Link only gave up one run and five hits over eight innings.

After Binghamton got ahead 1-0, Erie scored five unanswered runs. Wade Gayner blasted a three-run home run in the fourth inning against Mark Cohoon to give the SeaWolves a 3-1 lead. In the sixth against Jim Fuller, Hernan Perez knocked an RBI single to boost the lead. The final Erie run scored came in the top of the ninth when Gayner worked a bases-loaded walk against Ryan Fraser.

Jeff Walters retired the only two batters he faced in a scoreless top of the tenth, and picked up his fourth win of the season. Rebowski allowed the Rodriguez double and was tagged with the loss.

The win sets up the rubber match on Sunday between the B-Mets (45-28) and SeaWolves (38-34). Binghamton sends RHP Erik Goeddel to the mound to face LHP Matt Krouse for Erie. First pitch is at 1:05 PM with the Horizons Federal Credit Union Pregame Show starting at 12:50 PM on Newsradio 1290 WNBF.

POSTGAME NOTES: This was the fourth walk-off victory for the B-Mets this season…Saturday was Hughes’ first game since April 27…before the game, Binghamton was 0-24 when trailing after eight innings

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