Norfolk plated 10 runs in the second inning and held off a late Lehigh Valley rally in a 12-11 win over the IronPigs Saturday night at Harbor Park.
The IronPigs held a 4-1 lead entering the second frame, but the Tides sent 14 men to the plate in the second inning to grab an 11-4 advantage. Norfolk registered six hits, drew two walks and was hit by a pitch twice in the frame, which was just one run shy of matching the regular season franchise record for runs scored in an inning – an 11-run outburst in the 5th inning vs. Louisville on 5/13/14.
DJ Stewart’s three-run double off of Damon Jones (0-1) was the big blow of the second inning, while Mason Williams and Zach Vincej each added run-scoring doubles in the 10-run outburst. Vincej had two hits and two runs in just the second inning, while Christopher Bostick scored two runs in the frame after being hit by a pitch and drawing a walk.
Making his first start of the season with Norfolk, David Hess scuffled early on before retiring seven of the final eight batters he faced. Hess allowed four runs on five hits over four innings of work, walking one while striking out three. He did surrender two home runs, including a solo shot by Andrew Romine and a three-run homer in the second inning off the bat of Malquin Canelo.
An RBI single by Jack Reinheimer in the fourth inning gave the Tides a 12-4 advantage, but the IronPigs began to mount a rally against the Norfolk bullpen in the fifth frame. Lehigh Valley struck for four runs on four hits in three innings against Francisco Jimenez (1-0), then plated a run against Evan Phillips in the eighth inning to make it a 12-9 contest.
Josh Lucas came in to pitch the ninth, but the IronPigs plated a pair of runs in the frame on an RBI double by Shane Robinson and a pinch-hit run-scoring single by Logan Morrison to pull within a run. Lucas escaped further damage, however, striking out Phil Gosselin with the tying run on first to earn the save and give Norfolk its second straight win to open the series.
The Tides will look for a three-game series sweep on Sunday afternoon, with first pitch slated for 4:05. Dan Straily (2-0, 3.00) gets the start for Norfolk and will be opposed by right-hander Enyel De Los Santos (4-4, 3.95). Sunday is Bark in the Park at Harbor Park. Tickets for dogs are just $5, with 100% of the proceeds from dog tickets benefiting a local pet-friendly charity.
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