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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s win streak is over. But it took an opponent 12 innings to finally hand the RailRiders their first loss since June 11.
Charlie Tilson came through with an RBI single with one out in the bottom of the 12th to give Lehigh Valley a hard-fought 3-2 win on Wednesday in Allentown.
The RailRiders (29-12), who entered the day with the best record in all of the minor leagues, had won eight straight games against Buffalo, Syracuse and Lehigh Valley. But they couldn’t hold on after going ahead 2-1 in the eighth inning.
A day after smashing the IronPigs 14-5 in a game that they led by 12 runs in the ninth, the RailRiders got a much tougher fight on Wednesday.
Twice the RailRiders grabbed the lead but couldn’t build on it. Andrew Velazquez opened the scoring with a solo home run in the top of the third, a lead that held until Austin Listi’s infield single in the sixth tied it up.
Trey Amburgey put Scranton/Wilkes-Barre up 2-1 in the eighth inning with his first triple of the season, bringing home Socrates Brito with two outs.
But the bullpen couldn’t finish it out as Lehigh Valley answered in the home half. With one out and a man on secon, Darick Hall was awarded first base on a catcher interference call. That was followed by Listi coming through again, hitting a single into right field against reliever Nick Goody to knot things back up.
With a runner starting on second base in extra innings, the RailRiders twice were able to push the go-ahead run to third base but couldn’t score. Ryan LaMarre stole third with two outs in the 10th and Brandon Wagner sacrificed Velazaquez over to third to lead off the 12th.
Closer Luis Garcia took the loss, taking over in the 12th and getting a strikeout before Dalton Guthrie, who started the frame on second, stole third and set the stage for Tilson’s winning hit.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barreused seven pitchers on the night with starter Brody Koerner exiting after two innings.
Five Lehigh Valley pitchers held the RailRiders to just six hits over 12 innings. LaMarre had two singles and Amburgey’s triple was the team’s lone hit for extra bases.
After splitting the opening two games, the series continues Thursday at 7:05 p.m.