Moosic, PA (July 6, 2023) – The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (40-42, 4-5) could not contain the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (40-42, 6-2) offense for the second straight night, falling 18-2 on Thursday night at PNC Field.
Weston Wilson started the game off on the right foot for the IronPigs, smashing his team leading 20th homer of the season in the first inning to give the IronPigs a 1-0 lead.
That lead held until the fourth. The RailRiders drew three walks to open the inning before an error on a grounder back to the mound allowed two runs to score. After a wild pitch scored another run, Jesus Bastidas followed with a two-run homer before Estevan Florial capped the seven-run frame with another two-run homer.
In the very next inning, Brandon Lockridge ripped a two-run single and Florial drove in his third run of the game with an RBI groundout to make it 10-1.
Ben Rortvedt hit his first of two homers on the night leading off the sixth to extend the RailRiders lead to 11-1.
The IronPigs got a run back in the seventh on an Esteban Quiroz RBI double, but the RailRiders plated seven more runs in the eighth off the combination of position players Quiroz and Jim Haley to bring the final line to 18-2.
Mitch Spence (7-4) fired 7.1 innings for the RailRiders to earn the win, allowing just two runs on six hits, walking two and striking out seven.
Drew Hutchison (0-2) took the loss for the IronPigs, allowing seven runs (six earned) on four hits and four walks, striking out four in three-plus innings.
The IronPigs continue their series against the RailRiders on Friday, July 7. First pitch is slated for 6:35 p.m.
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