Bisons fall from third and fourth inning struggles

By: Brayden Peters / Sports Writer

Bisons third baseman Michael Stefanic throws to first base to force an out. (Buffalo Bisons Baseball)

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Although it was Lacrosse Night with the Buffalo Bandits at Sahlen Field yesterday, the Bandits' winning ways didn't rub off on the Buffalo Bisons. Buffalo was beaten 12-8 by the Lehigh Valley IronPigs after defensive struggles in the third and fourth innings. Across the two innings, Lehigh Valley scored eight runs and recorded 10 hits.

"Getting down that big early, you got to hold them to no more runs and you got to battle your way back," Bisons manager Casey Candaele said. "We did a good job battling back, we just didn't do a good job of holding them to minimal runs. Our guys fought hard. They (Lehigh Valley) drove in some runs and got some hits early on in the game that kind of damaged us a little bit. That's tough to come back from, but we didn't quit. That's credit to the guys. Got to come back tomorrow and see what we can do."

Entering the third inning up 4-0, Lehigh Valley third baseman Erick Brito allowed center fielder Óscar Mercado to score on a fielder's choice. Mercado singled to get on base.

With the bases loaded, right fielder Matt Kroon walked to allow first baseman Josh Breaux to score to give the IronPigs a 5-0 lead. Breaux hit a single to get on base.

The scoring wouldn't end there as left fielder Weston Wilson singled to drive in Brito. Designated hitter Justin Crawford then singled with the bases loaded to drive in catcher Garrett Stubbs.

Lehigh Valley hit double digits in runs in the fourth inning. On the first pitch of the at bat with two outs, Stubbs hit a three-run dinger out towards right field to give the IronPigs a 11-0 lead.

Adam Macko got the start on the mound for Buffalo. He gave up nine hits, eight runs and two walks while striking out one in 2.2 innings. The Bisons bullpen allowed eight hits, four runs and four walks while striking out five.

"They came in and kept it competitive and we scored some runs, so it got a little tighter," Candaele said. "You got to keep throwing up zeros and we did for the most part. Gave up a couple late, but that's a tough game to come back from."

Bisons third baseman Michael Stefanic and center fielder Will Robertson tied each other for a team-high three hits. Robertson doubled and hit a dinger in the contest. Both batters accounted for half of Buffalo's hits in the game.

With his performance, Stefanic extended his hitting streak to eight games. Stefanic now leads the Bisons with a .327 batting average.

"He's a great presence and he does a lot of things right on the baseball field," Candaele said. "He's a really good role model for some of the younger players. He's been in the big leagues. He's a true professional. He comes to work every day, plays hard. He wants to be in the lineup and knows how to play baseball and knows the game really well. He's definitely a big asset for our younger players and our team."

Robertson waits for the next pitch to be thrown. (Buffalo Bisons Baseball)

The IronPigs struck first in the second inning. Former Bisons second baseman Rafael Lantigua tripled to drive in Breaux and short stop Rodolfo Castro. Breaux singled to get on base while Castro doubled.

Wilson then singled to allow Kroon to score, increasing Lehigh Valley's lead to 4-0. Kroon hit a single to get on base.

The IronPigs would go on to have their dominating third and fourth inning offensive performances, putting them up 11-0.

Buffalo would avoid any possibility of a shutout loss in the fourth inning. Bisons center fielder Will Robertson hit a homer out towards right field to help Buffalo get on the scoreboard.

The Bisons would cut into Lehigh Valley's lead more in the fifth inning thanks to designated hitter Will Wagner. Wagner hit a solo shot out towards right field.

However, the IronPigs would respond with a run of their own in the sixth inning. Kroon hit a sac-fly to left fielder Yohendrick Pinango, allowing Lantigua to score from third base. Lantigua hit a double to get on base.

Buffalo would continue to chip away at Lehigh Valley's lead in the same inning. With the bases loaded, IronPigs reliever Lucas Sims walked both Pinango and catcher Ali Sánchez, allowing short stop Leo Jimenez and Robertson to score.

Michael Mercado would replace Sims after he walked Sánchez. Mercado would walk Wagner later in the inning, allowing second baseman Orelvis Martinez to score and trim the deficit to 12-5. Stefanic would go on to single and drive in Pinango. Sánchez tried to score as well off of the hit, but was gunned down at home plate by Weston.

The Bisons would continue to ride the wave of momentum in the seventh inning. With two outs and a 2-2 count, right fielder Riley Tirotta singled to right field to help Robertson and Martinez score. Robertson doubled while Martinez singled to get on base. Tirotta's two-RBI single got him up to 31 RBI this season.

However, Buffalo was held scoreless in the last two innings of the game, sealing the 12-8 win for Lehigh Valley.

The loss dropped the Bisons to a 30-46 overall record and are now 0-3 in the second half of the season. Buffalo sits in ninth in the IL East.

As for the IronPigs, they improved to 49-28 and are now 3-0 in the second half of the season. Lehigh Valley sits in first in the IL East.

The Bisons will try to defend their ball park against the IronPigs tomorrow. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Lazaro Estrada (1-4. 5.07) will get the start at pitcher for Buffalo while Wil Crowe (0-1, 13.50) will start for Lehigh Valley.