In the first two games of their series at Lehigh Valley, the Columbus Clippers needed to find some offense after falling twice to the IronPigs. Trailing 4-0 Wednesday at Coca-Cola Park, the Clippers found enough of an attack to tie the game in the eighth inning and eventually send the contest to extra innings, before falling, 7-5. 

In the eighth, Will Brennan led off with a single, followed by a double from Milan Tolentino to put runners at second and third. Johnathan Rodriguez then doubled to drive in both. Later in the frame, Dom Nuñez grounded out and knocked in a run. Yordis Valdes doubled to bring in the fourth run of the game for the Clippers.

Neither team scored in “regular” time and off to the tenth they went, both with the aid of a runner at second to start the inning. In the Clippers’ half, Micah Pries tried to bunt the runner to third but popped out in the attempt. Kody Huff singled to put runners at the corners and Dom Nuñez hit a sacrifice fly to bring in a run.

Columbus led 5-4 going to the bottom of the tenth. Lehigh Valley was successful in moving their runner to third on an inning-opening sacrifice bunt. Rafael Lantigua then brought the run in with a sac fly. With two outs, Justin Crawford doubled, followed by a walk-off home run from Cade Fergus.

Veteran Vince Velasquez started for the Clippers on the mound. The former Philadelphia Phillie went four innings, giving up three runs on six hits. Tanner Burns went the next three innings, allowing just one run on two hits. Nick Mikolajchak then tossed scoreless inning. He has yet to allow run in his seven appearances.

Alonzo Richardson (0-1), who was promoted to the Clippers from Single-A Lake County prior to the series, took the hill in the ninth inning and pitched out of a jam without giving up a run and sent the game to extras. In the tenth, he surrendered three runs, two earned, to suffer his first loss of the season. 

The teams will be back at it Friday with the Clippers still looking for their first win in Allentown. The first pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m. Will Dion (0-1, 3.09) will start for Columbus, while Kyle Tyler (3.98) will take the hill for the IronPigs.