Garcia Paces Hit Parade in Win

Allentown, Pa. - Adonis Garcia doubled twice and helped pace a 13-hit attack as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (20-20) downed the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Philadelphia Phillies) 5-3 Friday night at Coca-Cola Park. The win allowed the RailRiders to avoid the four-game sweep and snapped a four-game losing streak that dated back to May 12, the longest of the year for SWB.

Lehigh Valley plated the contests first three runs, tallying scores in each of the first two frames against RailRiders starting pitcher Matt Tracy on RBI base knocks by Cameron Rupp and Maikel Franco that put the RailRiders in a 3-0 deficit.

Sean O'Sullivan yielded way to two base hits prior to running into trouble in the fifth. Three-straight batters reached in the fifth before Dean Anna brought the RailRiders first run home on a sacrifice fly, Garcia followed with a double to center that plated Francisco Arcia from third. The run by Arcia brought the score to within one at 3-2.

Kyle Roller and Russ Canzler began the sixth by reaching on successive walks before SWB loaded the bases for the second-straight frame with a single by Jose Pirela. O'Sullivan induced a double play off the bat of Arcia to cut down Roller from third, but Antoan Richardson followed with a run-scoring base hit that plated Canzler from third to even the contests at 3-3.

Ramon Flores kept the game tied in the last of sixth, cutting down the IronPigs' go-ahead by firing a dart to the plate that beat Steve Susdorf, the outfield assist was one of two in the game by Flores. The RailRiders took advantage, pushing ahead with an RBI single by Scott Sizemore in the seventh. SWB added the final dagger in the ninth after an extra-base hit by Roller moved Sizemore to third, Canzler punctuated the game with a run-scoring single in the ninth that pushed the lead to 5-3.

Left-hander Tracy (NR) made his first appearance of the season for SWB, tossing five innings in earning the no decision. Diego Moreno (1-0) picked up his first win of the campaign, twirling a scoreless sixth and seventh. Kyle Simon (0-2) suffered the loss after allowing the go-ahead run to score in the seventh.  

The RailRiders will begin the second leg of an eight-game road trip with the series opener against the Pawtucket Red Sox Saturday, May 17 at 6:05 p.m. SWB sends righty Brian Gordon (2-3, 4.06) to the bump, while Pawtucket elects to twirl right-hander Brandon Workman (2-3, 5.34). Aaron Berlin will have the call on radio with the pregame show beginning at 5:35 p.m. on NEPA Sports Radio - The GAME, Northeast PA's largest sports radio network: 100.7 FM, 1340 WYCK-AM, 1400 WICK-AM, 1440 WCDL-AM and 106.7 FM. For season ticket information, single-game tickets or to book a ballpark group outing, call (570) 969-BALL (2255) or visit swbrailriders.com.

OFF THE RAILS:

Adonis Garcia extended a season-best 13-game hitting streak with a double in the fourth.

All nine batters in the RailRiders nine added a base hit, including multi hit evenings by four different RailRiders.

The two outfield assist by Ramon Flores brings his season total to five on the season, the most on the team.

- SWB RailRiders - All Aboard! -