NYPL Aberdeen IronBirds

Comeback in State College; IronBirds Top Spikes, 10-9

Published on August 5, 2012 under New York-Penn League (NYPL)
Aberdeen IronBirds News Release


STATE COLLEGE, PA - The IronBirds completed their biggest comeback of the 2012 season on Sunday night as Aberdeen overcame a six-run deficit and defeated the Spikes, 10-9. The Birds plated three runs in the seventh and four runs in the ninth to complete the improbable comeback.

The IronBirds got right to work on Sunday evening. Facing RHP Luis Heredia, fifth-best prospect in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, the Birds plated a pair of runs in the frame. With two outs and CF Gregory Lorenzo on second, 3B Torsten Boss singled home Lorenzo to give the Birds the first run of the contest. 1B Cameron Edman followed up Boss with a RBI double.

Aberdeen's two-run lead was short lived. In the bottom of the first, the plated three runs on two hits. With CF Tyler Gaffney on second and LF Walker Gourley on first, 3B D.J. Crumlich hit a slow groundball to the right of the mound. RHP Brady Wager gloved the grounder and fired to third base. Wager's throw sailed past Boss into foul territory. Gaffney and Gourley both scored on Wager's error. DH Derek Trent capped off the three run frame with a RBI double.

State College plated four more runs in the bottom of the third, all of which were unearned. With two outs in the inning, C Jacob Stallings hit a grounder to third but Torsten Boss could not come up with it cleanly. Derek Trent followed up with a single to left field. Stallings advanced to third on Trent's base hit while Stallings advanced to second on the throw. With SS Jimmy Rider at the plate, Wager uncorked a pair of wild pitches that allowed both Stallings and Trent to score. Rider eventually walked and RF Jesus Vasquez finished up the frame with a two-run blast to left field.

After the Birds and Spikes traded a pair of runs in the fourth inning, State College had an 8-3 lead.

Brady Wager exited his second start as IronBird after 3.2 innings. He allowed eight runs, three earned, on five hits while walking two and striking out two.

The Spikes tacked on another run in the sixth inning to increase their lead to six runs.

Aberdeen's comeback efforts began in the top of the seventh inning against Justin Ennis. C Sam Kimmel led off the inning with a single to center. After Will Howard struck out looking, RF Anthony Vega stepped to the plate. During Vega's at bat, Kimmel advanced to second via a passed ball and to third on a wild pitch. Vega then doubled into right-center to bring home Kimmel and cut the IronBirds deficit to five. Following an Anthony Caronia ground out, Gregory Lorenzo singled home Vega and RF Lucas Herbst capped off the inning with a RBI triple.

The IronBirds plated three runs on four hits in the seventh and trailed the Spikes 9-6 at the seventh inning stretch.

Aberdeen completed their improbable comeback in the ninth inning. With one out, 2B Anthony Caronia reached via a walk. Gregory Lorenzo followed up with a single. Lucas Herbst drove in the first run of the inning with a single to right field. Lance Breedlove was relieved following Herbst's RBI single. Tom Harlan entered and surrendered a RBI single to Joel Hutter. Trailing by a run, Torsten Boss stepped to the dish. Boss crushed a line drive deep to center field. Tyler Gaffney tracked it down but could not make the catch. Lucas Herbst easily scored on the play and Hutter came in from third after Gaffney's throw bounced off the mound and over the head of C Jacob Stallings.

Ahead for the first time since the top of the first, Tommy Winegardner entered out of the bullpen to close out Sunday's game. Winegardner surrendered a one out hit to RF Jesus Vasquez but got Jodaneli Carvajal to fly to out left field to end the game.

RHP Jose Nivar (2-0) notched the win out of the IronBirds' bullpen after tossing a scoreless eighth inning. Tom Harlan (2-5) got the loss while Tommy Winegardner picked up his second save of the year.

All five games of the IronBirds current road trip have been decided by just one run.

The IronBirds and Spikes will play the rubbermatch of their three-game series on Monday evening. First pitch from Medlar Field at Lubrano Park is set for 7:05 p.m. Coverage on the IronBirds Radio Network will begin at 6:50 p.m.

Check out the Aberdeen IronBirds Statistics

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New York-Penn League Stories from August 5, 2012


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