Cats Can’t Capitalize in Extras, Drop Opener to Ponies

MANCHESTER, NH — The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (3-8, 33-46) fell to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (6-6, 41-38) in 11 innings at Delta Dental Stadium Tuesday evening, 3-2. New Hampshire had the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth and the 10th and couldn’t plate a decisive run.

Binghamton’s JT Schwartz knocked a go-ahead, two-run shot in the top of the 11th to lift the Rumble Ponies to the Tuesday win off New Hampshire’s Abdiel Mendoza (L, 6-5). Rumble Ponies reliever Paul Gervase (W, 2-1) had runners at the corners in the bottom of the 10th with no outs and did not allow a run.

New Hampshire’s Lazaro Estrada logged his Double-A debut on Tuesday night with five innings and gave up one run on four hits with a pair of walks and three strikeouts.

Binghamton starter Tyler Stuart struck out five batters and in six innings on four hits. The lone Fisher Cats run came on a solo blast from Ryan McCarty in the bottom of the sixth. The home run is McCarty’s seventh of the season — his fourth of the second half.

Binghamton’s first run of the game came on Stanley Consuegra’s leadoff home run in the top of the third inning off Estrada.

Stuart settled into his Tuesday start by retiring 13 consecutive Fisher Cats batters from the second inning into the sixth. With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Stuart surrendered the solo homer to McCarty in the bottom of the sixth to even Tuesday’s score at 1-1.

New Hampshire expensed five bullpen arms and held the Rumble Ponies off the scoreboard from the fifth until Schwartz’s homer in the 11th. New Hampshire relievers Hunter Gregory, Braydon Fisher, Jimmy Burnette and Anders Tolhurst combined for five strikeouts and no hits. Fisher struck out the side on 13 pitches in a scoreless seventh inning.

New Hampshire continues their six-game home stand against Binghamton on Wednesday night with a 6:35 PM EDT first pitch. A battle of righties is scheduled as New Hampshire RHP Devereaux Harrison (3-5, 4.71 ERA) is penciled to oppose Rumble Ponies RHP Joander Suarez (4-5, 4.78 ERA) at Delta Dental Stadium.

Fans can purchase multi-game memberships and single-game tickets at NHFishercats.com, via email at info@nhfishercats.com, by phone at (603) 641-2005, and in-person at the Fisher Cats box office on 1 Line Drive in Manchester.