Third Inning Woes Doom IronPigs in Loss to Mud Hens

Allentown, Pennsylvania (June 17, 2023) – A seven-run third inning was too much for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (33-33) as they fell 9-5 to the Toledo Mud Hens (30-37) on Saturday night at Coca-Cola Park.

Back-to-back walks from Rafael Marchan and Cal Stevenson stirred up a rally for the IronPigs in the second. After a strikeout, Esteban Quiroz walloped a three-run homer, his third of the season, to put Lehigh Valley ahead 3-0.

Toledo answered back with a monstrous third inning. The first three reached to open the inning and load the bases with Justyn-Henry Malloy bringing home a run with a single. A Tyler Nevin sacrifice fly followed before Joe Rizzo vaulted Toledo in front with a three-run homer. After a groundout, a Donny Sands walk was followed by a double from Andrew Knapp that drove him in with Corey Joyce then capping the seven-run frame with an RBI single.

Jake Cave brought home a run for the IronPigs with a sacrifice fly in the fourth but a Malloy three-run triple in the eighth did away with those gains and put Toledo ahead 9-4.

In the ninth, Marchan legged out a fielder’s choice to plate a run, but the IronPigs ultimately left the tying run at the plate in the 9-5 loss.

Garrett Hill (2-1) earned the win out of the bullpen for the Mud Hens. Hill allowed a run in three innings on three hits and three walks, striking out two. Layne Henderson (S, 1) got the final out of the game with a strikeout after walking a hitter to earn the save.

Drew Hutchison (2-3) suffered the loss for the IronPigs, allowing seven runs on six hits and four walks, striking out three over four innings.

The IronPigs and Mud Hens wrap up their series on Sunday, June 18 with first pitch slated for 1:35 p.m. at Coca-Cola Park.

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The IronPigs are presented by Capital**BlueCross**.

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