IL Buffalo Bisons

Bisons Rally for First Win of the Season, 4-3 over RailRiders

March 31, 2024 - International League (IL)
Buffalo Bisons News Release


Spencer Horwitz's two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning lifted the Bisons to their first victory of the season, 4-3, over the RailRiders on Easter Sunday at Sahlen Field.

The win salvages a game for the Herd in their season-opening three-game homestand. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre had won the first two contests of the year, 12-9 and 4-3.

The Bisons trailed 3-1 early in the game and 3-2 when entering the eighth inning before Buffalo's 2023 Most Valuable Player came through with the biggest hit of the game. With runners on second and third and two outs, Horwitz was locked into a tough battle with RailRiders reliever, Dennis Santana. The righty jumped out 1-2 against Horwitz before the Bisons first baseman fouled off a sinker and a slider to stay alive.

Horwitz then got a pitch he could handle, a fastball over the heart of the plate, and lined a sharp single into centerfield. Tanner Morris and Luis Jimenez, both of who stole second base earlier in the inning, scored easily from third and second respectively to give the Bisons their only lead of the game. It was the only lead they would need for the win.

The RailRiders threatened in the ninth with a pair of walks against Herd closer, Connor Cooke, but the righty got a soft ground ball from Carlos Narvaez to end the game.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre had the 12-0 lead early until Payton Henry hit his first Bisons home run to lead off the fourth inning.

The RailRiders then snapped a 1-1 tie by scoring a pair of runs in the top half of the fifth inning. With the speedy Brandon Lockridge on first base and one out, lead-off hitter Luis Gonzalez hit a tailing fly ball to deep centerfield that landed just out of the reach of Cam Eden. The Bisons centerfield crashed hard into the wall allowing Lockridge to score and Gonzalez to race around the bases for the RailRiders first triple of the season.

With the Bisons forced to bring the infield in, Caleb Durbin lofted a soft liner into shallow left field to score Gonzalez and increase the RailRiders lead to 3-1.

The Bisons pulled to within 3-2 in the sixth inning without the benefit of a hit. Orelvis Martinez reached on an error by former Herd infielder, Kevin Smith, at second base. A pair of wild pitches and a ground out allowed Martinez to come around and score.

Chad Dallas started for the Bisons and allowed three runs on seven hits in five innings of work. He struck out two and walked just one.

The Bisons are off on Monday and will travel to Worcester for the start of a six-game series against the WooSox on Tuesday.

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International League Stories from March 31, 2024


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