Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin 4/9/09: B-Mets top Thunder in EL opener
April 9, 2009
B-Mets win with two runs in ninth
Bullpen shuts down Thunder in opener
By Aaron Bracy
Correspondent
TRENTON, N.J. – If the opening game is any indication, there will be no quit in Binghamton this season.
The B-Mets battled back from a three-run deficit to defeat Trenton 5-3 Wednesday night in the Eastern League season opener in front of 5,837 fans.
“That’s a great sign, a great feeling,” B-Mets manager Mako Oliveras said. “It’s a nice comeback win. They kept their composure and kept grinding it out. We fell behind and I kept checking their composure and their intensity was outstanding.”
The B-Mets came back from a 3-0 deficit to tie it at 3-all entering the ninth when the they scored a pair of runs to open 2009 with a victory over the two-time defending EL champs.
Caleb Stewart led off the ninth with a double to left. Carl Loadenthal followed and after two failed sacrifice bunt attempts, singled to left to move Stewart to third.
Emmanuel Garcia, who went 3-for-5 with a run and RBI, drove home Stewart with a single to shallow center, giving the B-Mets a 4-3 lead. Loadenthal scored on Josh Thole’s one-out single to right.
Roydrick Merritt pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to record the save for winning pitcher Eric Brown, who tossed two scoreless innings of relief.
Add in Julio De La Cruz, who threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings, and the three B-Mets relievers pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings while allowing just a single hit.
The Binghamton offense also was strong, pounding out 13 hits against four Thunder pitchers.
The B-Mets fell behind 3-0 as starting pitcher Mike Antonini gave up three runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. Antonini cruised through three scoreless innings, allowing a single hit, before encountering trouble in the fourth.
Colin Curtis started the frame with a double off the wall in left and scored on Marcos Vechionacci’s one-out single to right. After another out, three straight singles resulted in two more runs.
“I felt fine and got through the lineup once but need to mix it up a little more,” said Antonini, who struck out four while walking one.
The B-Mets tied it in the seventh on RBI hits by Ruben Tejada and Shawn Bowman.
