STAFF REPORTS
The Buffalo Bisons came into Wednesday’s game on a season-high seven-game winning streak and winners of 15 of their last 18 games. That came to an end against division leader Scranton/Wilkes-Barre though as the RailRiders slugged their way to a 10-1 victory at PNC Field.
The top team in the International League North hit home runs in each of the first three innings and five altogether that came off the bats of Mike Ford (2), Logan Morrison and Trey Amburgey (2). Ford hit a solo shot in the first, followed by Morrison’s two-run homer in the second and Amburgey left the yard for a three-run home run in the third, giving the RailRiders an early six run lead.
Ford, who had a blasted three longballs in a game at Sahlen Field on April 7th, continued to demolish baseballs from Buffalo pitching on Wednesday night. The first baseman now has eight home runs and 20 runs driven in while batting .455 (20-44) in 13 games against the Herd.
Trailing early, Buffalo was unable to get anything going all night, mustering just one run on four hits.
That lone run came in the third inning of the contest. After Roemon Fields reached base on a fielder’s choice, Bo Bichette doubled home the speedy outfielder, who came around to score all the way from first base. The extra base hit was Bichette’s second hit of the game as he led off the ballgame with a single.
Bichette finished the game reaching base three times, going 2-3 with a walk and stolen base. In his last four games, the Blue Jays’ Top Prospect has 10 hits in 16 at-bats, good for a .625 average. He has also hit .378 (17-45) with 10 RBI in 11 games since returning to the Buffalo lineup after suffering a broken hand on April 22nd.
The shortstop finished the game with two hits, a walk, a run batted in and a stolen base, accounting for three of the Bisons’ seven baserunners in the loss. Patrick Kivlehan and Jonathan Davis had the other hits while Andy Burns and Reese McGuire both walked.
The single in the seventh inning extended Kivlehan’s hitting streak to six games (5-18, .278 AVG and 5 BB, .435 OBP).
Daniel Camarena helped silence the Herd’s bats as the southpaw yielded the only run and all three hits in seven innings of work to earn his second victory of the season.
The two teams will play a doubleheader tomorrow night, making up a game from April 19th. Twinbills have been on the Bisons side all season as they have swept three, split two and have been swept in one doubleheader. They look to continue that success and narrow the RailRiders lead in the IL North with the first game slated to begin at 5:05 p.m. in Moosic, PA.
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