IronPigs Pound Out 14 Hits in Series-Opening Win

ALLENTOWN, P.A. - The Lehigh Valley IronPigs jumped out to an early lead and held on late for an 8-5 win over the Charlotte Knights Saturday night at Coca-Cola Park, in the first game of a four-game set in front of a capacity sellout of 10,100 fans.

Darin Ruf and Cody Overbeck each went 3-for-5, while Overbeck drove in three and Ruf had two RBIs and scored a pair. Michael Martinez produced out of the nine-hole, going 3-for-4 and cracking his second homer in his last four games.

The IronPigs (31-31), who reached the .500 mark for the first time since April 20, plated two runs in the first inning when Overbeck drilled a double to center field, scoring Leandro Castro and Ruf. The Knights would counter in the top of the second though, scoring two runs of their own to tie the game 2-2.

In the bottom of the second the 'Pigs took the lead for good behind five runs. Pete Orr kicked things off with a homer over the right field wall, his third of the campaign. Later in the frame Castro delivered a double to left-center field, scoring Steven Lerud and moving Jermaine Mitchell to third base. Two batters late Ruf crushed a double to the left-center field wall, plating a pair, before scoring himself on Overbeck's double to right-center field, capping the five-run frame and giving the home side a 7-2 lead.

Charlotte (26-37) bounced back for a pair of runs in the third though behind a Tyler Greene single and a bases loaded walk. The score held at 7-4 until the bottom of the fifth, when Martinez hit an opposite-field dinger onto the grassy berm in left-center field, a solo shot, as Lehigh Valley increased the deficit to four at 8-4.

The Knights would plate a run in the sixth frame to make it a three-run contest, but would come no further as the IronPigs bullpen allowed just one baserunner over the final 3 1/3 frames.

B.J. Rosenberg (2-5) earned the win, going five innings and allowing four runs on four hits. Cesar Jimenez went 1 1/3 innings of relief, allowing an unearned run while striking out a trio. Phillippe Aumont then entered with one out in the seventh and proceeded to retire all five men he faced, striking out four of them while tossing 15 pitches, 14 of which were strikes. In the ninth, J.C. Ramirez locked down his first save of the season, allowing just a hit while striking out two. Jason Berken (4-6) suffered the loss for the visitors, surrendering seven runs on nine hits in just three innings of work.

Seven IronPigs contributed hits in the 14-hit onslaught, as Castro joined the multi-hit party with a 2-for-5 performance and scored a pair of runs.

Game two of the series is set for tomorrow when LHP Raul Valdes (0-1, 4.26) takes the mound for Lehigh Valley against Charlotte RHP Zach Stewart (3-7, 5.22). First pitch is set for 1:35 p.m. from Coca-Cola Park.

Bacon Bits: The IronPigs set a season-high, striking out 15 Knights hitters… The 'Pigs have now won 10 of their last 11 at Coca-Cola Park… Lehigh Valley improved to 9-2 on Saturdays.