BUFFALO — The Iowa Cubs were able to sweep the Buffalo Bisons on Thursday night at Sahlen Field with a 10-2 victory in game one of the doubleheader, followed by a 3-2 win in the night cap.
Once again, the Cubs were able to score first for a 1-0 lead over Buffalo. Miles Mastrobuoni had the first of three straight hits for Iowa and was able to score the game’s first run on Mike Tauchman’s RBI single that followed Nelson Velazquez’s single.
The visitors were able to take advantage of three straight walks in the top of the third inning after Christopher Morel’s solo home run that led off the inning. The homer to right field was Morel’s fifth of the season. Mastrobuoni and Velazquez both scored on a two-run single by Darius Hill to extend Iowa’s lead to 4-0 in the top of the third.
Matt Mervis added to the Iowa lead, 6-0, with a two-run homer in the top of the fourth inning. His fourth home run of the season scored Dom Nuñez. The visitors added four more runs in the top of the fifth to balloon their lead to 10-0. Tauchman hit a two-run homer, and Sergio Alcantara’s two-run double capped the scoring.
Zach Thompson made the start for Buffalo, going the first four frames for the team. He suffered his first defeat of the season. Roenis Elias went 6.1 innings for Iowa, carrying a no-hitter into the bottom of the seventh.
However, Wynton Bernard doubled with one out for the Bisons first hit of the game. He scored the second Bisons run of the inning on a Stevie Berman RBI double to right-center field. That followed an Otto Lopez RBI groundout to get Buffalo on the scoreboard.
The Cubs once again struck first again in the night cap. The visitors were able to score three runs against Yosver Zulueta who worked a pair of innings for Buffalo. David Bote’s two-run double allowed Iowa to open up a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. A bases loaded walk to Mastrobuoni extended the lead to 3-0 in the second frame. It was the infielder’s first RBI since joining Iowa this week.
The Bisons were able to pick up their first hit of the game in the bottom of the seventh when Otto Lopez pinch hit and collected a single to left field. Davis Schneider and Ernie Clement each scored in the bottom of the inning, to pull the Herd with a run, 3-2. However, Cam Sanders was able to record a strikeout to end the game and help Iowa earn the doubleheader sweep.
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