IronPigs Succumb to Late WooSox Rally 

Worcester, MA (June 20, 2023) – A late flurry of runs downed the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (34-34) as they dropped their series opener to the Worcester Red Sox (36-34) by a final of 7-5 on Tuesday night at Polar Park.

The WooSox opened the scoring courtesy of a Bobby Dalbec solo homer in the second inning. The IronPigs answered right back though as a Jake Cave doubled tied the game in the top of the third. Following Cave, Drew Ellis ripped a double of his own to plate two more runs and make it 3-1 IronPigs.

Niko Goodrum sliced it to a one-run lead for the IronPigs as he swatted a solo homer in the last of the fourth.

Once more though, the IronPigs got that run right back. In the top of the fifth, Cave doubled to start the inning, moved to third on a fly out and then scored on a Weston Wilson groundout.

In the sixth, Scott Kingery doubled off the right field wall to score Simon Muzziotti to extend the IronPigs lead to 5-2.

Form there, it was all WooSox. Two runs came across in the seventh on a Daniel Palka RBI single and a RBI fielder’s choice from Christian Koss. In the eighth, Goodrum tied the game with an RBI knock before Palka came through again, this time with a two-run single, to put Worcester ahead for good, 7-5.

Theo Denlinger (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth for the WooSox to collect the win, striking out one. Brendan Nail (S, 1) worked around a walk and an error in the ninth for the save.

Jace Vines (0-2) suffered the loss for the IronPigs, allowing three runs in two-thirds of an inning on three hits and two walks, striking out one.

The IronPigs and WooSox continue their series on Wednesday, June 21, at 6:45 p.m. at Polar Park.

Follow the IronPigs on Twitter at @IronPigs and like them on Facebook via www.facebook.com/LHVIronPigs.

The IronPigs are presented by Capital BlueCross.

--#YourHometownTeam--