Ford's Blast Vaults RailRiders to Championship Series

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Moosic, Pa. - The SWB RailRiders (Triple-A/ New York Yankees) earned their second straight appearance in the International League Governors' Cup Championship Series with a 1-0 win over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on Sunday afternoon at PNC Field. The RailRiders (3-1) won the best-of-five semifinal set against the IronPigs (1-3) by winning three straight.
The game was a pitchers' duel from the beginning with neither side getting a man into scoring position before a double by Miguel Andújar in the fourth. Nestor Cortes Jr. (1-0) fired seven scoreless frames, pitching around five hits and one walk. The left-hander struck out eight.
Jacob Waguespack (0-1) held the RailRiders to two hits and a pair of walks across six innings, but surrendered a solo home run to Mike Ford to open the last of the seventh.
SWB made the one-run advantage stick as Jonathan Holder tossed a perfect eighth and Nick Rumbelow struck out Dylan Cozens swinging to strand two in the ninth. The save was Rumbelow's second of the series.
-- RailRiders' pitching held the IronPigs to 5-for-32 (.156) with men in scoring position during the four-game series.
-- The championship series appearance is the seventh for the SWB franchise and the first time they've gone to the GCCS in back-to-back years since 2008-09. The SWB Red Barons also appeared in consecutive GCCS in 2000 and 2001.
-- SWB is 3-4 against the Durham Bulls in the GCCS. The SWB Yankees (3-1) won the first Governors' Cup title in franchise history against Durham in 2008. The Bulls (3-0) took the Cup from SWB in 2009.
The RailRiders will travel to the Tar Heel State for Games One and Two of the GCCS against the Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays). Game One is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 6:35 p.m. The RailRiders return to PNC Field for Game Three on Thursday, Sept. 14 at 6:35 p.m. If necessary, Games Four and Five will also be at PNC Field. Playoff tickets are on sale! The RailRiders will donate $1 for every playoff ticket sold to Hurricane Harvey Relief. For tickets or more information, please call 570-969-BALL (2255) or visit swbrailriders.com.
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