Allentown, PA (June 29, 2023) – Trailing 1-0 going into the fifth inning, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (37-38, 1-1) struck for four runs and never looked back in a 12-3 victory over the Rochester Red Wings (35-40, 1-1) on Thursday night at Coca-Cola Park.
Jake Alu legged out an infield single to begin the game for the Red Wings and then moved to third with one out on a Blake Rutherford single. A Franmil Reyes ground out scored Alu for the first run of the game.
After a quiet start, the IronPigs finally broke through in the fifth. Dustin Peterson and Simon Muzziotti singled to start the inning and Scott Kingery sacrificed them to second and third. John Hicks then laced a two-run double to put the IronPigs ahead before Jake Cave launched a two-run homer, his 12th of the year, to make it 4-1 IronPigs.
In the very next inning, Drew Ellis blasted a solo homer to start the frame, his ninth of the year. Kingery stepped up with a two-run double later in the inning before Cave scored him with an RBI single.
Rochester got a solo homer from Alu to scratch one back in the eighth, but the IronPigs answered in kind with a three-run homer from Kingery, his eighth of the year, and a solo shot from Weston Wilson, his 17th, to make it 12-2.
The Red Wings got a run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly from Luis Torres to move the final score to 12-3.
T.J. Zeuch (3-3) was stupendous in the win for the IronPigs. He spun seven innings, allowing just one run on five hits and two walks, striking out four.
Jose Urena (0-2) allowed eight runs in 5.1 innings on nine hits and a walk, striking out two, taking the loss for Rochester.
The IronPigs and Red Wings continue their series on Friday, June 30, with first pitch slated for 7:05 p.m.
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