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IL1 Syracuse Mets

Skelton, Chiefs Walk off Past IronPigs

June 9, 2012 - International League (IL1)
Syracuse Mets News Release


The Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, beat the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, 3-2, Saturday night, improving to 5-1 to start their 21-game homestand. James Skelton won the game for the Chiefs in the bottom of the ninth inning with his second game-winning hit at Alliance Bank Stadium in the last four nights.

Syracuse (31-32) started the scoring in the third. The catcher Skelton led the bottom of the frame off with a double to right-center field - his second extra-base hit in as many starts. Zach Duke bunted Skelton over to third and Corey Brown drove Skelton home with a groundout to second base to put the Chiefs up 1-0.

On the mound, Duke was rolling until the sixth. The left-hander had retired 12 IronPigs in a row until he walked Domonic Brown and Tuffy Gosewisch back-to-back with two outs. Pete Orr and Cody Overbeck then followed with successive run-scoring singles that gave Lehigh Valley a 2-1 edge.

However, that Lehigh Valley (35-27) lead didn't last long. Brown was the first Chief up in the bottom of the sixth and just like he had 15 times previously this season, the outfielder hit a home run. Brown blasted a Matt Wright pitch into the right field Family Park to tie the game, 2-2.

Chiefs reliever Erik Arnesen relieved Duke and threw one and one-third innings without surrendering a run. Right-hander Pat Lehman then tossed a scoreless eighth and ninth thanks to defensive help from Xavier Paul. With one out in the top of the ninth, Steve Susdorf singled to right, where Paul fielded and fired home. His throw beat Michael Spidale, who Skelton tagged out.

In the home ninth, Carlos Rivero knocked a one-out single to left-center against Jeremy Horst and moved in to scoring position when Seth Bynum drew a two-out walk. That set the stage for Skelton to play the role of hero for the second time in a week. The left-handed swinger served a 0-2 slider through the hole between first and second into right field, allowing Rivero to touch home. The walkoff win was Syracuse's second in the last four days.

The Chiefs and IronPigs continue their four-game set at Alliance Bank Stadium on Sunday evening at 5:00. Left-hander John Lannan is scheduled to start for Syracuse against Lehigh Valley's Tom Cochran.

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