IL1 Syracuse Mets

Chiefs Swept by IronPigs in Doubleheader

April 20, 2016 - International League (IL1)
Syracuse Mets News Release


Syracuse, NY - The Syracuse Chiefs dropped both games of a doubleheader to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs Wednesday night at NBT Bank Stadium. The Chiefs led both games early, but the IronPigs rallied back twice to sweep the doubleheader.

Syracuse (6-7) took the lead in game one in the third inning. Trea Turner led off the frame with a single. Scott Sizemore followed with a walk two batters later, and both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Matt Skole then hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Turner and give the Chiefs a 1-0 lead. A Jason Martinson walk extended the inning, and Brian Goodwin singled home Sizemore to push the lead to 2-0.

Lehigh Valley (7-6) immediately answered in the top of the fourth against Paolo Espino. Darnell Sweeney and Taylor Featherston each singled to start the inning, the IronPigs first two hits of the game. After a strikeout, Andrew Knapp reached on an infield single, scoring Sweeney to get the IronPigs on the board. One batter later, Brock Stassi doubled home Featherston to tie the game. The IronPigs would need just one more run, and it came from the next hitter. Cedric Hunter grounded out to second base, scoring Knapp and giving Lehigh Valley its first lead at 3-2.

IronPigs pitching retired 12 of the final 14 Chiefs to bat in game one to hold on for the 3-2 lead.

The Chiefs grabbed an early game-two lead thanks to Jhonatan Solano. In the second inning, Goodwin and Nate Freiman reached on one-out singles against starter Reinier Roibal. Two batters later, Solano served a two-run double into the left-center field gap, scoring a pair for a 2-0 Chiefs lead.

Syracuse tacked on runs in the next two innings. In the third, Turner singled, stole second and sprinted home on a Martinson RBI single. In the fourth, pinch-hitter Jose Lozada's two-out single scored Freiman, who had doubled, against left-hander Bobby LaFromboise.

Lehigh Valley grabbed a run back in the fifth against Trevor Gott. Singles from Hunter, Featherston and Cam Perkins, the latter two coming with two outs, scratched the first IronPigs tally across.

In the seventh, closer Rafael Martin entered in search of a save. He walked Ryan Jackson before allowing a pinch-hit single to Stassi. Center fielder Sweeney, the next batter, fell behind 1-2 in the count. Surprisingly, he drove the next pitch over the wall in right-center field for a tying three-run home run. The rally continued when Featherston doubled. After a pair of strikeouts, first baseman Tommy Joseph lofted a ground-rule double over the left-field wall, putting the IronPigs in front.

The Chiefs rallied in the home seventh against Luis Garcia. With one out, Martinson walked. Sizemore followed with a line-drive single, advancing Martinson to third base. However, Garcia struck out Skole looking and induced a groundout from Goodwin, ending the game.

The Chiefs and IronPigs wrap up their series Thursday afternoon at NBT Bank Stadium. A.J. Cole is scheduled to start for Syracuse opposite Adam Morgan for Lehigh Valley. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.

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