Michael Soroka started the game for Rochester and was masterful through five innings. He gave up only one run on four hits while walking three and striking out 11. The Red Wings gave Soroka a four-run cushion in the first inning when Daylen Lile got the first of three hits for the night with a lead-off double. Brady House copied Lile and hit a double, scoring Lile for the 1st but not the last run of the night. Andrew Pinckney hit his 4th homer of the year, giving the Wings a 3-0 lead, and Rob Hassell III went with a back-to-back home run over the center field fence that traveled 431 feet.

Rafael Lantigua hit a solo homer in the top of the 3rd to get the IronPigs on the board. That was the only run Soroka would give up. The score would remain 4-1 to the bottom of the 5th when Hassell III would hit his second homer, blasting a two-run shot to the same spot as his earlier homerun in center, just five feet further at 436 feet. After six innings, the Red Wings were coasting with an 8-1 lead when things started to get really interesting. The IronPigs scored four in the 7th and one run in the 8th. Going into the 9th inning, the Red Wings had a 10-6 lead. The Wings have a record of six wins and 23 losses and have found interesting and creative ways to lose games. Jack Sinclair retired the first batter and then, with one out, hit Buddy Kennedy and walked the two next batters. Clay Helvey then came into the game, which was now a “save” game. Helvey gave up a single and walked two batters. Marquis Grissom Jr. entered the game, and when the inning was over, the IronPigs had scored seven runs on three hits and had a 13-10 lead. With one out in the bottom of the 9th, Juan Yepez singled, and Jackson Cluff hit his first homer of the year, making it 13-12. Lile singled, and House followed with another single for his fourth hit of the night. Franchy Cordero hit into what looked like a game-ending double play, but Lile scored on a throwing error by Lehigh Valley.

The game now went to the tenth inning, tied at 13. Lehigh Valley scored one run on a sacrifice fly off Carlos Romero. In the bottom of the tenth, Trey Lipscomb started the inning at second base. Pinckney hit a line drive to right field, and the Red Wings had runners at first and third with no outs. Hassell III was coming to bat. The day before, he was the Red Wing “Player of the Game” by going 4-4. He started this game off with four hits and was 4-5. Over the two days, he had accumulated eight consecutive hits in a row. Lehigh Valley wanted nothing to do with him. They gave him an intentional walk, putting the winning run on second. Andrew Knizner stepped up and delivered a hit to center field, scoring two for a Rochester 15-14, much-needed win!

All nine starters for the Red Wings had a hit for the first time this year. House went 4-6 with two doubles. Hassell III went 4-5 with two homers and a walk. Cluff went 4-5 with a homer, 3 RBIs, and a sensational defensive play that saved two runs from scoring. Lile went 3-5 with two doubles. Pinckney had three hits and a homer, and Andrew Knizner had a double and a “walk-off” game-winning single, and he still has a batting average of over .400 at .418. Romero was credited with the win.

These two teams meet again Saturday at 1:05. Andrew Alvarez will be pitching for Rochester.