After having their three-game winning streak end on Tuesday afternoon, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (18-16) were back at Coca-Cola Park on Wednesday night against the Memphis Showboats (21-14) in game two of a six-game series.
Coming into this game, Noah Skirrow (3-0, 3.38 ERA) was on the mound for Lehigh Valley against Memphis’s Tommy Parsons (0-0, 4.40 ERA).
The IronPigs jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when center fielder Jake Cave crushed a two-run home run over the wall at right-center field with two outs. Two batters later, Jordan Qsar flies out at right field, ending the inning.
Moving ahead to the top of the fourth inning, Noah Skirrow ran into trouble when he gave up a triple to Moises Gomez. Then, Jordan Walker doubled to right field, scoring Gomez, making it 2-1 IronPigs. Lehigh Valley right fielder Dustin Peterson misplayed the ball off the right field wall, allowing Walker to get a double.
Luken Baker was next and he doubled to right field a 113 mph off the bat, scoring Walker that tied the game 2-2 with one out. Skirrow came back to get the last two outs that retired the side.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Lehigh Valley center fielder Jake Cave hit his second home run of the night over the wall at left field for a 3-2 lead. It was the second time this season that a Lehigh Valley player hit more than one home run this year. Vito Friscia was the first to do it back on April 20th against Worcester.
Four players later with Dustin Peterson on second base and two outs, Vimael Machin singled on a line drive to left field, scoring Peterson for a 4-2 lead. Then Aramis Garcia flies out to right field which ended the inning.
Moving ahead to the top of the sixth inning, Moises Gomez hit a solo home run off Skirrow’s hanging curve ball out over the left-center field wall that made it 4-3 IronPigs. The home run went for 405 feet.
Skirrow gave up a single two batters later to Luken Baker with two outs before getting Oscar Mercado to fly out which ended the inning. Noah Skirrow pitched 6.2 innings, allowing seven hits, three runs, one walk, and four strikeouts in 92 pitches, of which 59 were strikes.
In the bottom of the seventh inning with Esteban Quiroz at second base and two outs, left fielder Simon Muzziotti hit a two-run home clearing the wall at right field for a 6-3 lead. It was Muzziotti’s third home run of the season and he extended his hitting streak to 12 games. The home run went 404 feet.
After Muzziotti’s home run, Memphis pitcher Kyle Leahy walked Weston Wilson and Jake Cave before Jim Haley hit a two-run triple off the wall at right field for an 8-3 lead. Leahy was replaced by Guillermo Zuniga, who got Jordan Qsar to fly out toward right fielder Jordan Walker that ended the inning.
Moving ahead to the top of the ninth inning, Jesus Cruz closed out the game for Lehigh Valley. He walked Luken Baker before giving up a single to Oscar Mercado. Next, Cruz threw a wild pitch during Kramer Robertson’s at-bat, moving both runners up a base. Robertson grounded out to shortstop Weston Wilson for the first out but Memphis scored a run, it was now 8-4. Cruz struck out Juniel Querecuto and Irving Lopez, ending the game.
The IronPigs defeated the Redbirds by the final score of 8-4. Lehigh Valley finished the night with nine hits, 3-7 with runners in scoring position, and left four runners on base. Noah Skirrow picked up his fourth win of the season, while the loss went to Memphis pitcher Tommy Parsons.
The IronPigs and Redbirds play game three on Thursday at 6:45 pm. Tickets for the game are available on StubHub and Viagogo. Also, pick up IronPigs merchandise today at Fanatics.com.
