Vasquez's Gem Helps Lift Pigs to 2-1 Win
LHP Anthony Vasquez allowed just one unearned run over 8.0 IP and the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (46-35) took the lead for good with a run in the bottom of the eighth en route to a 2-1 win over the Charlotte Knights (38-44) on Thursday night at Coca-Cola Park.
Vasquez (2-0) gave up the one run (none earned) on five hits while fanning seven over his eight innings of work. RHP Edward Mujica (1.0 IP, K) retired the side in order in the ninth to notch his 20th save of the year.
In the afore-mentioned bottom of the eighth, Nick Williams got on base with a one-out double, advanced to third on a single from Darin Ruf (2-4) and scored when Brock Stassi grounded into an RBI fielder's choice to give the Pigs a 2-1 advantage.
Knights starter Chris Volstad (5-6) allowed the two runs on nine hits to go along with two walks and seven strikeouts in a complete-game effort.
The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fifth as Vasquez and Volstad traded zeroes.
The Pigs grabbed a 1-0 lead with a run in the fifth as David Lough led off with a double and later scored on Taylor Featherston's (2-4, 2B, RBI) RBI single.
Charlotte tied it at one apiece with a run in the sixth when Leury Garcia reached via a one-out single, went to third on an error charged to Featherston and scored on Jerry Sands' RBI groundout.
The series continues on Friday at 7:05 p.m. as RHP Jake Thompson (6-5, 2.88) will be on the bump for the IronPigs aganst Knights RHP Tyler Danish (0-2, 11.57).