Frewsburg graduate Connor Grey delivers a pitch for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies during Double-A Northeast League Northeast Division action against the Erie Seawolves on Thursday at Mirabito Stadium in Binghamton. Photo by Julia Jaffee | Binghamton Rumble Ponies

BINGHAMTON — Connor Grey’s professional baseball journey continued Thursday evening.

And once again, the 2012 Frewsburg graduate was pitching a little closer to home.

The New York Mets promoted Grey back to the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies on Wednesday afternoon and the 6-foot right-hander made his second appearance of the summer during the Rumble Ponies’ 6-4 victory over the Erie Seawolves on Thursday night.

Grey entered with one out and a runner on first base in the top of the sixth inning and the Rumble Ponies leading 5-2. After running the count full, Grey struck out the first man he faced and catcher Hayden Senger threw out 2020 No. 1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson attempting to steal second to end the inning.

In the seventh inning, Grey struck out the side on 14 pitches.

After a groundout and a strikeout to start the eighth inning, Grey ran into trouble. Ryan Kreidler doubled off the base of the wall in right field before Torkelson followed with an RBI double to left field. Grey got out of the inning with a groundout to third base.

In the ninth, Grey allowed a leadoff double to Kerry Carpenter before getting John Valente to strike out looking for the first out. After a walk to Cole MacLaren and the potential tying run coming to the plate, Grey was lifted in favor of Eric Orze. After a flyout to left field, Brady Policelli drove in a run with an infield single before Orze struck out Riley Greene to end the game.

Grey finished with six strikeouts in three innings of work, throwing 37 of his 55 pitches for strikes. He allowed six hits and two runs.

It’s been quite a ride this summer for the 2016 St. Bonaventure graduate, who was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 20th round of that summer’s draft.

After pitching in the Diamondbacks organization for four years, including throwing a perfect game during September 2017 with the Kane County Cougars, Grey became a casualty of COVID-19 and the downsizing of Minor League Baseball last spring.

Grey started this year with the Chicago Dogs of the American Association — an independent league — before the Mets signed him on June 17. He then made a relief appearance in Binghamton on June 19, throwing two innings while allowing a two-run home run and striking out four during the Rumble Ponies’ 7-2 victory over Portland.

The Mets then assigned Grey to the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones and gave him a regular turn in the starting rotation. In four starts covering 22 1/3 innings, Grey went 1-1 with a 3.22 earned run average. He allowed 14 hits and 11 runs (eight earned), including a pair of home runs. Opponents hit just .182 off him and he struck out 25 batters as opposed to just 10 walks.

His best start in Brooklyn was hopefully his final one. Last Friday, Grey took a no-hitter into the ninth inning before an inside-the-park home run fell just in front of his center fielder. Grey settled for 8 1/3 innings with nine strikeouts, picking up his first professional victory in the Mets organization.

In a text conversation after his signing Wednesday, Grey expected that he would pitch in relief Thursday night before taking a spot in the Binghamton rotation next week.

The Rumble Ponies wrap up a six-game homestand with Erie on Sunday before hitting the road for six games in Hartford, Connecticut against the Yard Goats on Tuesday through Sunday of next week. Binghamton then hosts a pair of six-game series at Mirabito Stadium on Tuesday, Aug. 3 through Sunday, Aug. 15 against the Portland Sea Dogs and Yard Goats.