Moosic, Pennsylvania (August 23, 2023) – The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (65-55, 29-19) salvaged a split of a doubleheader with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (59-61, 25-21) after dropping the first game, 4-3 in eight innings, and then firing a shutout for a 6-0 win in the second game on Wednesday night at PNC Field.
Game One
The RailRiders were on the board promptly in the last of the first. After the first two reached, Andres Chaparro and Franchy Cordero had back-to-back RBI singles to put the RailRiders ahead 2-0.
The IronPigs got a run back in the fourth when Weston Wilson scored on a wild pitch and then tied the game in the fifth on a Cal Stevenson RBI single.
With two on and two out in the seventh, Jim Haley poked a single to center to score Simon Muzziotti and give the IronPigs their first lead of the day at 3-2.
The lead was short lived as the RailRiders tied the game in the bottom of the seventh when Estevan Florial walked with the bases loaded. The game went to extras however after Cal Stevenson robbed Austin Wells of a game winning hit with a diving catch and then doubled the runner off second to end the inning and push the game to the eighth.
After the IronPigs went down scoreless in the top of the eighth, the RailRiders won it on a Carlos Narvaez RBI single to center, claiming a 4-3 win.
Anthony Misiewicz (2-1) picked up the win for the RailRiders, working a scoreless eighth, allowing just a walk and striking out one.
Tyler McKay (2-2) suffered the loss for the IronPigs, allowing an unearned run on two hits and two walks in an inning of work.
Game Two
Despite the walk-off loss, the IronPigs rebounded quickly. In the second, Jordan Qsar blasted a two-run homer, his 11th of the season, to get the ‘Pigs on the board first.
Still 2-0 heading into the seventh, the IronPigs plated some insurance runs. Darick Hall blasted a three-run shot, his 11th of the year, and Rafael Marchan poked an RBI double to make it 6-0.
The six runs was more than enough as the IronPigs pitching staff was superb. Connor Brogdon (2IP, 3K), Brett Schulze (1IP), Braden Zarbnisky (2IP, W), and Luis Ortiz (2IP, 0H), combined on the sixth shutout of the season for the IronPigs. Zarbnisky collected the win to improve to 2-1 on the year.
Zach McAllister (1-1) suffered the loss for the RailRiders, allowing two runs on three hits and a walk, striking out one in 1.2 innings.
The IronPigs continue their series against the RailRiders on Thursday, August 24 with first pitch slated for 6:35 p.m.
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