Exemplary Effort: RailRiders surge past IronPigs in 8-5 win

MOOSIC, PA (September 13, 2025) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders defeated the Lehigh Valley IronPigs 8-5 Saturday at PNC Field. Two homers in the fourth and a two-run fifth inning brought Scranton/Wilkes-Barre back from a four-run deficit to down the IronPigs.

Box Score

Lehigh Valley opened the scoring in the top of the first against RailRiders starter Erick Leal. Johan Rojas and Phillies #2 Prospect Aidan Miller singled on the first two offerings of the game, and Gabriel Rincones, Jr., plated Rojas with a base hit to right-center for a 1-0 lead.

Lehigh Valley extended the advantage in the top of the fourth. After Oscar Mercado walked, Brewer Hicklen hit a two-run home run to left field, putting Lehigh Valley ahead 3-0. Payton Henry and Luis Verdugo walked before Rodolfo Castro doubled home Henry for a four-run cushion.

His name is Jose, and he hits dingers! 💪#WhereLegendsRise #RepBX pic.twitter.com/hPvHLwqyjZ

— SWB RailRiders (@swbrailriders) September 13, 2025

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game against Lehigh Valley starter Mitch Neunborn. Rumfield singled and J.C. Escarra walked before Jose Rojas cut the lead to one with a bases-clearing three-run homer to right field for a 4-3 margin. Bryan De La Cruz followed with a game-tying solo shot, his 14th homer of the season leveled the game at four.

BACK-TO-BACK! 💣#WhereLegendsRise #RepBX pic.twitter.com/fBcP3qGPwy

— SWB RailRiders (@swbrailriders) September 13, 2025

The RailRiders took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Andrew Velazquez doubled to lead off the frame, Yankees #3 Prospect Spencer Jones walked to extend his on-base streak to 16 games, and T.J. Rumfield singled to load the bases. Escarra plated Velazquez with a sacrifice fly to give Scranton/Wilkes-Barre a one-run lead. The RailRiders tacked on another run to extend the lead to 6-4.

RailRiders reliever Joel Kuhnel allowed a pair of base hits in the top of the sixth before being lifted for Wilking Rodríguez. With one out and runners on the corners, an RBI groundout from Rohan Rojas cut the RailRider advantage to one.

Two runs in the bottom of the seventh gave Scranton/Wilkes-Barre a three-run lead. Velazquez, Jones, Rumfield, and Escarra reached with four consecutive singles to give SWB an 8-5 lead to cap the scoring.

TJ and J.C. tack on a pair of insurance runs 🙌 pic.twitter.com/WeckLplQww

— SWB RailRiders (@swbrailriders) September 13, 2025

Leal pitched 4.1 innings, allowing four runs on five hits. Joel Kuhnel (4-1) tossed one inning of work in the victory, allowing one run on two hits. Brent Headrick threw 23 pitches, 17 for strikes, through two scoreless frames in a rehab appearance, and Scott Effross recorded his third save of the year. Neunborn (0-4) went 4.0 frames, surrendering five runs on five hits in the loss.

Rojas’s home run in the fourth gave him 31 for the year, the second for most homers by a RailRider in a single season, one behind Jorge Vasquez, who launched 32 homers in the 2011 season. Rojas is three RBIs shy of tying Torey Lovullo’s 1999 record of 106 RBIs in a season.

The 2025 IronRail Rivalry Series is now even at ten wins apiece. The RailRiders conclude their series with the IronPigs on Sunday afternoon at PNC Field. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre sends Kenta Maeda (5-6) to face Lehigh Valley’s Gabe Mosser (0-3). First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 P.M. Tickets are available at www.swbrailriders.com.