ALLENTOWN, Pa. --  The Indianapolis Indians came back from an early four run deficit with four straight scores of their own, but fell short as catcher Lou Marson’s RBI single in the eighth lifted the Lehigh Valley IronPigs past the Tribe 5-4 on Thursday night at Coca-Cola Park.

With the loss the Indians drop to 34-38 overall and 18-17 on the road, while the win improves the IronPigs to 35-38 on the season and 16-21 at home.  With Thursday night’s victory Lehigh Valley takes the 2-1 series lead and improves their record to 5-2 overall against the Tribe this season with one game left to play in the matchup.

After the IronPigs started out with four straight runs to begin the contest the Indians countered back with four consecutive scores of their own.  However, it was Marson’s RBI single, which scored 1B Andy Tracy, that proved to be the game-winner and gave Lehigh Valley the 5-4 victory over the Tribe.

The IronPigs jumped out to an early lead right off the bat as Lehigh Valley recorded three runs in the first frame.  LF Rich Thompson led off the inning with a single and was followed by 3B Mike Cervenak who slapped a base knock of his own.  A miscue by the Indianapolis defense then allowed Thompson to score, while Cervenak moved to second and the error allowed Tracy to reach first safely.

Miguel Cairo then delivered in the clutch situation with runners on as the Lehigh Valley shortstop smacked a double to left field, which plated both Cervenak and Tracy and gave the IronPigs the early 3-0 lead.  Marson (2-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB), Tracy (2-for-4, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI) and Cairo (2-for-4, 2 RBI) all went on to record multiple hits for Lehigh Valley in the contest.

After a three-run rally in the first Lehigh Valley then added on to their early lead with another score in the third.  Tracy again trotted home after he led off the inning with a double of his own and then came plateward on RF David Newhan’s RBI single.

However, the Indians answered back and brought the game to within two after 3B Hector Gimenez plated CF Jeff Salazar and RF Garrett Jones with a two-run double in the top of the fourth.  Gimenez’s run scoring base knock came with two-outs after Salazar began the inning with a walk and Jones followed with a single.

Jones (2-for-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI) then collected his second hit and the Tribe’s only mult-hit performance when he launched a solo home run in the sixth to put Indianapolis down by one.  Just two batters later newcomer and first baseman Brian Myrow blasted his own solo longball to tie the contest at four runs a piece.  

The solo shot was Myrow’s first as a member of the Indians and his eighth overall this season, while Jones’ entered tonight’s contest tied for sixth in the International League with eleven home runs.  Jones’ two hits also extended his hitting streak to eight games as the left handed slugger has now posted seven multi-hit performances in his last eleven contests.

After a scoreless seventh, Lehigh Valley loaded the bases as the first four hitters in the eighth all reached base safely.  Tracy and Cairo opened the frame with back-to-back singles, while Newhan walked to load the bases and set-up Marson’s game-winning base knock.

Lehigh Valley reliever Steven Register (1.0 IP, 1 H) then closed the door for his second save of the year after he allowed only one hit in a scoreless ninth inning.  Register along with LHP Jake Woods combined to toss three scoreless innings out of the bullpen in which they only gave up one hit a piece.

Woods (2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 SO)  struckout out two over two innings of relief work en route to his fourth win of the season, while Indians RHP Jason Davis (1.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB) earned the loss after he gave up the game winner in what was his only inning of relief.

Neither starter figured in the decision as Tribe right hander Eric Hacker (5.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO) gave up three earned runs and struck out seven in five frames, while his counterpart Kyle Kendrick (6.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO) allowed all four of the Indians’ runs on five hits and three walks.

Indianapolis finishes their four-game series and their season series with Lehigh Valley on Friday at 7:05 p.m. RHP Jeremy Powell is scheduled to start for the Indians, while RHP Drew Carpenter is expected to get the nod for the IronPigs.

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