Hill delivers solid outing in 7-1 win
Shawn Hill wasn't the only member of the Hill family to make an impressive Coca-Cola Field debut on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
Pitching with his TWO-DAY old daughter in the crowd, Hill made child's work of the IronPigs lineup over seven innings of a 7-1 Bisons victory. The performance helped the Bisons snap a four-game skid and climb back within a half-game of first place in the IL North Division.
Hill and his wife gave birth to their second daughter Peyton on Friday night, and from a suite at Coca-Cola Field, the new addition cheered on her father during his first win as a Bison. Dad allowed just one run on four hits and a pair of walks and retired nine in a row at one point. He struck out five and kept the IronPigs from mounting any serious threat all afternoon.
The lone Lehigh Valley tally came on an RBI-ground out from Andrews Blanco in the third inning.
Buffalo offense, meanwhile broke out with a 16-hit effort. After scoring just six runs in their most recent four-game skid, the Bisons plated four runs in the first six batters of Sunday's contest. Jared Goedert's two-run home run was sandwiched by RBI-singles from Ryan Goins and Matt Tuiasosopo as the Herd jumped out early and knocked IronPigs starter David Buchanan out after just one inning.
Every hitter in the Bisons lineup had at least one hit by the fifth inning. Mike Nickeas singled and scored in the fourth inning and had a sacrifice fly in the seventh as part of multi-hit effort. The Bisons backstop is now 10 for his last 30 at the plate.
Not to be outdone, the Bisons bullpen was perfect in finishing off the win. Rob Rasmussen struck out the side in the eighth inning and Ryan Tepera did the same in the ninth.
BISONS NOTES:Munenori Kawasaki hit another double on Sunday and now has seven doubles in his last eight starts with the club…Hill is the Bisons second pitcher to throw seven innings in an outing this season. Liam Hendriks has done it three times in 2014…Darin Mastroianni finished game 3-4 with an RBI, a walk and a stolen base.