MOOSIC, Pa. (June 19, 2019) - The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders walked-off with a 7-6 victory over the Norfolk Tides in 10 innings Wednesday night at PNC Field. Down 6-5 in the bottom of the tenth, Breyvic Valera doubled home extra-inning runner Gosuke Katoh before scoring the winning run on a two-base miscue.
MOOSIC, Pa. (June 19, 2019) - The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders walked-off with a 7-6 victory over the Norfolk Tides in 10 innings Wednesday night at PNC Field. Down 6-5 in the bottom of the tenth, Breyvic Valera doubled home extra-inning runner Gosuke Katoh before scoring the winning run on a two-base miscue.
Norfolk got the scoring started first, putting a run on the board in the top of the second. After Brody Koerner pitched a perfect top of the first, for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, former RailRider Mason Williams tripled and scored on a single by Austin Wynns.
The RailRiders got even in the home half of the second when Kyle Higashioka drilled a solo home run to dead center. It was the second straight night that Higashioka hit a bleacher reacher; this being his eleventh of the season.
The Tides plated two runs in the top of the third to take a 3-1 lead, but Koerner settled down after. The right-hander allowed just those three runs in his 6.0 innings of work on six hits, walking two and striking out four.
Ryan McBroom cut the RailRiders deficit with a thundering home run in the bottom of the fifth.
With Danny Coulombe on the mound in the seventh for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Dwight Smith Jr homered and increased the Tides lead to 4-2. It was Smith's first hit on his Major League rehab assignment while recovering from a concussion.
In the top of the eighth, Norfolk added an additional run to the tally on a Jack Reinheimer single, plating Williams for a 5-2 edge. The RailRiders again struck back with a home run as McBroom hit his second of the night in the bottom of the eighth. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre brought the go-ahead run to the plate with one out but could not break through to even the game.
In the last of the ninth, Mike Tauchman led off with a double off Tides pitcher Tanner Scott and advanced to third when Thairo Estrada reached on an error. Tyler Wade doubled into the gap in left center, plating both runners and tying the game at five. The RailRiders left the winning run at third and the game moved to extras.
In the top of the tenth, extra-inning runner Jace Peterson advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a David Sosebee wild pitch, giving Norfolk a 6-5 lead.
In the bottom of the tenth with Katoh pinch running for Mike Ford, Valera stroked a double down the right-field line. Katoh scored easily, and as Valera was heading to second, Norfolk right fielder Anderson Feliz jogged to the ball and flipped it into the stands, allowing Valera to come all the way home to win the game.
Sosebee (1-0) earned the win while Chris Lee (3-2) suffered a blown save and took the loss.
Aaron Judge, on an Allied Integrated Health Systems rehab assignment for the fifth straight RailRiders game, exited after six innings during a light rain shower. Judge went 0-for-2 with a walk Wednesday.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Norfolk close this three-game set on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. as the RailRiders seek a series sweep. For tickets and more information, call (570) 969-BALL or slide to www.swbrailriders.com/tickets.
