Fisher Cats manage just four hits in 4-0 loss to Ponies
MANCHESTER — The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (3-10, 33-48) were shut out Thursday by the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (8-6, 43-38) at Delta Dental Stadium, 4-0. Third baseman Ryan McCarty managed two of New Hampshire’s four hits.
C.J. Van Eyk (L, 2-6) crossed the 80-pitch threshold for the second time this season. The right-hander struck out six in his six innings of work. Thursday marks the third time Van Eyk has tossed six innings in 2024.
McCarty knocked singles in the sixth and eighth. The versatile infielder now has back-to-back multi-hit games, and eight total multi-hit efforts
Binghamton scored in the top of the first, second and third innings. The Rumble Ponies started fast thanks to center fielder Alex Ramirez. He singled off Van Eyk to start the game, then stole second. Ramirez swiped third on the first pitch to Ponies left fielder Ryan Clifford and scored in the same play as Kekai Rios’s throw bounced into left field.
Binghamton third baseman Jeremiah Jackson hit a solo home run in the top of the second. In the third, Ramirez walked, advanced to second on a Clifford single, then scored as Kevin Parada ripped a base knock through the left side of the infield.
Parada tacked on the fourth and final run with a solo homer off Van Eyk in the top of sixth. Van Eyk finished his Thursday outing with his sixth strikeout and retired 11 of his 12 batters.
The Fisher Cats bullpen turned in three solid innings of relief. Hunter Gregory, Andrew Bechtold and Ryan Boyer tossed scoreless frames to end the night for the pitching staff.
New Hampshire and Binghamton match up for the fourth time of six Friday. First pitch on Star Wars Night is slated for 6:35 p.m. The Fisher Cats send righty Ryan Jennings (0-0, 0.00 ERA) to the mound, and two-way player Nolan McLean (0-5, 5.45 ERA) toes the rubber for Binghamton.