IronPigs win in 15 innings, longest game in franchise history

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga.
What started out as a disastrous road trip turned out to be just disappointing.

But not by much.

The IronPigs blew a four-run ninth-inning lead, then pushed across the winning run in the top of the 15th on three hit-batters and a Brian Bocock sacrifice fly to pull out an 8-7 win over Gwinnett in the longest game in franchise history.

The 4-hour, 52-minute game ended just before midnight Monday, just four hours before the team was scheduled to leave the hotel for its flight back to Allentown and a game tonight against Louisville to begin an eight-game home stand.

Home runs by John Mayberry Jr., who had four hits, scored four runs and knocked in three, and Cody Ransom helped the IronPigs, who lost four of its first five on the road trip, carry a 7-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth. But a throwing error by Oscar Villarreal led to a four-run rally by Gwinnett that forced extra innings.

Braves reliever Cory Gearrin hit Mayberry, Ransom and Dane Sardinha to load the bases in the 15th with one out, and Mayberry scored when Bocock lined sharply to center, giving the light-hitting shortstop his second RBI of the game.

Alex Concepcion (1-1), pitching for the first time in 27 days after coming off the disabled list earlier in the day, pitched two scoreless innings for the win. But the real hero out of the bullpen behind starter Brandon Duckworth was Ehren Wassermann, who threw 60 pitches in four scoreless innings after replacing Villarreal.

Andy Tracy, listed as day-to-day with what is described as nagging ailments, missed his second straight game.

From the Morning Call