Leal Leads RailRiders to Series Win
IL Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders

Leal Leads RailRiders to Series Win

Published on July 6, 2025 under International League (IL)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release


MOOSIC, PA - The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders defeated the Lehigh Valley IronPigs 9-6 Sunday afternoon at PNC Field. A quality start from RailRiders pitcher Erick Leal and a six-run fifth inning powered the RailRiders to a series victory against the IronPigs.

Lehigh Valley tallied the first run of the game in the top of the fourth when Cal Stevenson reached on a bunt, stole second, advanced to third on a force out, and scored on a wild pitch for a 1-0 edge.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre jumped out in front in the sixth, sending ten batters to the plate and blasting two home runs in the frame. After a pitch hit Andrew Velazquez and Jorbit Vivas walked, Yankees #2 Prospect Spencer Jones crushed a four-seam fastball 445-feet over the right field wall to put the RailRiders ahead 3-1. Everson Pereira walked and scored on a T.J. Rumfield RBI single for a three-run cushion. Bryan De La Cruz homered in the second straight game, launching his ninth of the year to give SWB a 6-1 lead.

Weston Wilson hit a solo home run in the top of the sixth to pull Lehigh Valley within four.

The RailRiders added three more runs in the sixth to extend the advantage. Velazquez singled, Vivas reached on catcher's interference, and a pitch hit Jesús Rodríguez to load the bases with no one out for Jones, who plated a run with a sacrifice fly. With one out, Pereira and Rumfield walked to score another run, and De La Cruz extended the lead 9-2 with the second sacrifice fly of the inning.

In the top of the eighth, Lehigh Valley's Gabriel Rincones, Jr. walked with the bases loaded to score Nick Dunn, and Donovan Walton singled home two runs to bring the deficit to four.

Lehigh Valley narrowed the margin to three with a solo blast from Payton Henry in the ninth to cap the scoring.

Leal (4-7) allowed two runs on three hits over six innings for his third consecutive victory. Mitch Neunburn (0-1) tossed 4.1 frames, allowing two runs on four hits in defeat.

Jones went 1-for-4 with four runs batted in, De LA Cruz drove in three and three players has multi-hit days.

The RailRiders continue their homestand on Tuesday, July 8, against the Buffalo Bisons. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 P.M. Tickets are available at www.swbrailriders.com.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Record:

8-3, 46-37

Check out the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Statistics



International League Stories from July 6, 2025


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