Cats fall in extra innings

New Britain 6 at Binghamton 7

W: E. Camacho (2-2, 2.05); L: B. Julianel (0-2, 3.05)
HR: NBR: L. Hughes (10). BIN: S. Paniagua (1).

It appears the the Twins were unhappy with Yohan Pino's last performance and according to New Britain Herald writer Ken Lipshez in his blog Lip Service, he was skipped Thursday in favor of Errol Simonitsch, fresh off the disabled list after a very brief (one game) stint in Fort Myers.

The strategy didn't work to well for the road kill Rock Cats who, despite the change in pitchers and despite return of Luke Hughes to the line up, still lost to Binghamton, 6-7.

Simonitsch would surrender 5 runs, 4 earned on 8 hits and 2 walks while striking out 2 over 5 innings.

Hughes opened up the game with a home run in the first inning. Steve Tolleson followed that up with a single then stole 2 and 3rd with David Winfree at the plate. Winfree would ground out, but Tolleson came home on the play. Following a fly out to Brock Peterson, Trevor Plouffe drew a walk then stole second. Erik Lis would hit a double to plate Plouffe. Toby Gardenhire followed that up with a single, but the runners would be stranded when Felix Molina ground out.

Still a 3-run first seemed like a pretty good way to start the game. A fielding error by Gardenhire at 3rd let Jose Coronado reach for the Mets. Simo would walk Jonathan Malo and a bunt single by Dan Murphy would load the bases. Nick Evans would fly out, while Coronado would score on a Caleb Stewart ground out. Ambiorix Conception ground out to end the inning, with the Cats still maintaining their lead.

Drew Butera doubled to open up the top of the 2nd and Hughes would reach on a fielding error by Murphy. Tolleson ground into a force out that scored Butera, but that was all the New Britain squad would find in that inning, with a pair of fly outs to Winfree and Peterson retiring the side.

Salomon Manriquez doubled off Simonitsch, who then walked Emmanual Garcia. Salvador Paniagua went yard over the left field fence to tie up the game. Two outs later, Murphy singled then stole 2nd. Evans would triple him in to give the B-Mets the lead.

The Cats took it back in the 3rd though with Plouffe singling and Lis doubling. Gardenhire's bunt single scored Plouffe and Molina sacrificed in Lis.

Simo would get through the next three innings well enough despite allowing a triple to Malo in the bottom of the 4th. Kyle Aselton would come on in the bottom of the sixth and allow a triple to Garcia. Still, following a strike out to Paniagua, Gardenhire would make the play at home to Butera to take the runner out, allowing Corando to reach on a fielder's choice, preserving the Rock Cats' lead.

It was short lived. A single to Evans and a double to Stewart in the bottom of the seventh lead to the tying run when Concepcion hit a grounder to short. Armando Gabino would be brought in to replace Aselton to get the final two outs in the inning.

Despite a push in the ninth to get the winning run over the plate, the Cats came up empty and the game headed to extra innings.

In the bottom of the 11th, Murphy would double. Evans follow-up single would plate him for the game winning run.

The Cats lick their wounds and return back to New Britain Stadium, where they will take on the Portland Sea Dogs in a four game series, including a split-game double header on Saturday.

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