Binghamton Game Recap: Five-Run Third Inning, Clifford HR Propel Ponies to Fourth Straight Win in Reading

Ryan Clifford, Binghamton Rumble Ponies, Photo by Bronson Harris (@BRONSONHARRIS) courtesy of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (@rumbleponiesbb)

For Immediate Release

Date: July 26, 2025 By: Jacob Wilkins, Binghamton Rumble Ponies Broadcaster 

READING, PA – The Binghamton Rumble Ponies (18-8, 63-30) scored five runs in the third inning and Ryan Clifford hit his 20^th homer of the year as the Rumble Ponies defeated the Reading Fightin Phils 9-2 at FirstEnergy Stadium. Binghamton has taken four of the first five games of the series, securing their 14^th series victory of the year.

In the third, Jett Williams led off the inning with a walk, followed by a Carson Benge infield single to third. The next batter, Clifford, singled through the right side to score Williams and put Binghamton ahead 1-0. After Jacob Reimer walked to load the bases with none out, D'Andre Smith hit an RBI single to left, scoring Benge and putting the Ponies ahead 2-0. Two batters later, Nick Lorusso drove a sacrifice fly to center to score Clifford and extend the lead to 3-0. With runners on second and third with two out, Kevin Parada drilled an opposite-field two-run single to right to cap off the five-run frame and put the Rumble Ponies ahead 5-0.

After Reading scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth, Parada hit into an RBI force out in the fifth to extend the Ponies lead to 6-2.

In the eighth, with two on and two out, Clifford broke the game open as he belted a three-run homer to left center, his 20^th home run of the season, to give Binghamton a 9-2 lead. Clifford now is tied for the Double-A lead in both home runs and RBIs (66). He is hitting .474 with three home runs and 11 RBIs over the first five games of the series.

Jonathan Santucci (2-0) allowed two runs (both unearned) over 5.2 IP with seven strikeouts to earn his second Double-A win in his first three AA starts. Santucci at one point retired seven in a row and now has a 2.03 ERA with the Rumble Ponies.

Binghamton, now a season-high 33 games over .500, finish out their nine-game road trip on Sunday against Reading (11-15, 36-57), with first pitch at 5:15 p.m. and the NYCM Insurance Pregame Show getting underway at 5:00 p.m.

POSTGAME NOTES: Clifford finished the game with two hits, two runs scored, and four RBIs…Jacob Reimer and D'Andre Smith both had multi-hit games… Benge now has a seven-game hitting streak, with four of those being multi-hit contests…the Rumble Ponies have scored 21 runs over the last two games.

Ryan Clifford (@Mets No.6 Prospect) singles to score Jett Williams in the 3rd 🙌🏼

🎠 x #NeedForSteed x @MetsPlayerDev pic.twitter.com/e9ySEzN7Z4

— Binghamton Rumble Ponies (@RumblePoniesBB) July 26, 2025

D'Andre Smith drives in Carson Benge to put the Ponies up 2-0 in the 3rd 🎉

🎠 x #NeedForSteed x @MetsPlayerDev pic.twitter.com/Do4R48Rn3A

— Binghamton Rumble Ponies (@RumblePoniesBB) July 26, 2025

Kevin Parada drives a 2 RBI single to extend the Ponies' lead 💥

🎠 x #NeedForSteed x @MetsPlayerDev pic.twitter.com/JtsIkMrz1B

— Binghamton Rumble Ponies (@RumblePoniesBB) July 26, 2025

Ryan Clifford (@Mets No.6 Prospect) hammers a 3-run shot to put the Ponies up 9-2 in the 8th 🚀

🎠 x #NeedForSteed x @MetsPlayerDev pic.twitter.com/uVA8TMECwi

— Binghamton Rumble Ponies (@RumblePoniesBB) July 27, 2025