Scott Homers, WooSox Drop Game One in Lehigh Valley

ALLENTOWN, PA — In a back-and-forth affair in game one of the series, the Worcester Red Sox (38-31, 77-67) fell 4-3 to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (43-27, 79-64) on Tuesday night at Coca-Cola Park.

Worcester opened the scoring in the top of the first inning. Corey Rosier led off the game with a double on the first pitch. Nick Sogard and Enmanuel Valdez walked, and then Ronaldo Hernandez grounded into a double play to bring in the game’s first run.

In the bottom of the first, the IronPigs tied it on a Matt Kroon RBI single.

That score held until the fourth. With one out and the bases empty, Stephen Scott blasted a solo homer over the right-field wall to put Worcester in front 2-1. The homer was Scott’s 13^th of the season and his first since August 16.

But Lehigh Valley responded in the bottom of the fourth. After Drew Ellis worked a leadoff walk and Scott Kingery doubled, Kody Clemens drove in the tying run with a groundout.

After two strikeouts to begin the seventh, Rosier reached on an infield single, and Sogard singled through the left side. With Valdez in the box, a wild pitch scored Rosier and gave the WooSox a 3-2 lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, the IronPigs rallied again, as an Esteban Quiroz groundout plated Cal Stevenson to tie the game at three.

Then in the eighth, Matt Kroon hit a solo home run to put the IronPigs ahead 4-3.

In his 13^th start of the season, Kyle Barraclough went four innings and allowed two runs on five hits. He walked seven and struck out five.

With the loss, the WooSox have been officially eliminated from postseason contention.

The WooSox continue their six-game series with the IronPigs tomorrow at 6:45 p.m. Right-hander Brian Van Belle is the scheduled starter for Worcester. Radio coverage begins at 6:25 p.m. on 98.9 Nash Icon, 100.1 FM The Pike, and the rest of the WooSox Radio Network.