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PUCKETT HAS FIVE HITS & CYCLE AT SYRACUSE
3x ALL-STAR HAS MARVELOUS AFTERNOON TO PROPEL BINGHAMTON TO VICTORY

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (July 31, 1879) - Syracuse & Binghamton faced off in the second game of their series at the Salina Street Grounds, and the visitors came out on top thanks to a pair of five-run rallies:

After the teams traded pairs of runs during the opening inning, Binghamton scored twice in T2 via Sacrifice Fly and Single by 1B Bernard Puckett to take a 4-2 lead. The visitors then added five runs in T3, the key hit a two-run Triple by Puckett, to take a commanding 9-2 lead in Syracuse.

The hosts chipped away at the deficit, scoring once in B3, once in B4, twice in B5, and once more in B6 to turn a seven-run gap into a two-run deficit (9-7). However, Binghamton stepped to the plate for T7 and put up a second five-run rally, with Puckett again providing the key hit on a three-run Home Run, to take a 14-7 that Syracuse wasn’t able to threaten.

While Binghamton didn’t score again after the seventh inning, they did do something notable in the ninth because Puckett led off T9 with a Single that earned him the Cycle:

• T1: 1-run Double to RCF off C. Cremins (R)
• T2: 1-run Single past SS off C. Cremins
• T3: 2-run Triple to RCF off C. Cremins
• T5: Ground Out to 2B (3 out)
• T7: 3-RUN HOME RUN to RF off H. Carter
• T9: Leadoff Single past 2B off H. Carter
• TOTAL: 5/6 (2B, 3B, HR), 2 R, 7 RBI, 11 TB; CYCLE, 104 GMSC (#6)

Puckett’s Cycle was the second in the N.B.B.O. in roughly six weeks – Murdock Whitehurst hit one for Minuteman against Eagle on June 19th – and the 21st in competition history. Thursday afternoon’s output raised his Average to .341 (.836 OPS) with 22 Extra-Base Hits (13 2B, 7 3B, 2 HR), 62 Runs Batted In, and 1.9 WAR. He had recently been named to his third All-Star Game over his four seasons in the N.B.B.O.

The win moved Binghamton back into a tie for 6th in Upstate New York with Eagle at 25-32 (10 GB), while the loss dropped Syracuse to 29-28. They are 4th Upstate and six games behind leaders Minuteman with thirteen left to play.