Rochester, New York (September 15, 2023) – After seeing an early 3-0 lead slip away, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (77-63, 41-26) scored five unanswered runs to topple the Rochester Red Wings (63-75, 29-36) on Friday night at Innovative Field
After a scoreless first two innings, the IronPigs struck first blood in the third. Drew Ellis walked to open the inning and Cal Stevenson then singled him to third. Kody Clemens plated both of them with a homer out to rightfield, making it 3-0 IronPigs.
Rochester rallied to take the lead in the fourth. Matt Adams got the Red Wings on the board with an RBI single before Rochester loaded the bases with one out. Jeter Downs then lined a ball off an infielder for an infield single plating another run. Darren Baker followed with a clean single to right to score another, tying the game. Derek Hill continued the action with a bases loaded walk, putting Rochester ahead 4-3.
Clemens smoked his second homer of the day, his 17th of the season, in the fifth. The solo shot tied the game at 4-4.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh, Darick Hall came through in the clutch with a two-run single putting the IronPigs ahead for good, 6-4. With men at the corners, an error on a grounder of the bat of Dustin Peterson allowed another run to score.
Clemens drove in his five run of the game in the eighth, an RBI single that extended the IronPigs lead to 8-4.
Taylor Lehman (4-0) earned his second win of the series for the IronPigs, working 1.2 perfect innings, striking out one.
Tim Cate (1-1) suffered the loss for the Red Wings, allowing two runs on a hit and three walks, striking out two in 1.2 innings.
The IronPigs continue their series with the Red Wings on Saturday, September 16 with first pitch slated for 6:05 p.m.
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