Outlaws split with Iron Spider Pigs

Under new management, the newly renamed North Carolina Iron Spider Pigs make their first appearance against the Flagstaff Outlaws and give them all they can handle.

Game 1: Wacha v. Anderson – Making their first trip to Phanatic Field, the Outlaws strike first in the second inning on an Eduardo Nunez fielders choices after Jonathan Villar reached on Tyler Anderson’s error. But Michael Conforto evens the with a solo homer in the third.

The score would stay that way until the sixth, when the wheels would fall off of Anderson. Andrelton Simmons leads off with a walk, steals second, and scores on Paul Goldschmidt’s single. Aaron Judge follows with a two-run bomb that is backed up by George Springer’s solo jack and all of a sudden, it’s 5-1 Outlaws.

That outburst was all Michael Wacha would need and he gets through six with the lone blemish on his record and the Outlaws cruise, 7-2.

W: Wacha (1-1)
L: Anderson (1-2)
Sv: None
HRs: FLG – Judge (5), Springer (3); ISP – Conforto (1), Chapman (5).

Game 2: Chirinos v. Flaherty – The Iron Spider Pigs and Outlaws trade runs in the fourth inning, but as the Outlaws leave the field at the end of the fourth, Yonny Chirinos comes up lame, shaking his hand.

Forced to go their bullpen a little earlier than expected, Nick Kingham was asked to soak up the middle innings, but in his second inning of work, North Carolina scores against him, thanks to Kingham own fielding incompetence.

In the seventh, Luis Cessa comes in gives up a two-run homer to Rougned Odor. Three batters later, Matt Chapman breaks the game open with a two-run double.

Flagstaff scrapes together a few runs in the eighth, but never really threatened to take the lead and the Iron Spider Pigs even the series with a 6-3 victory.

W: Flaherty (2-0)
L: Kingham (1-1)
Sv: None
HRs: FLG – none; ISP – Odor (4).

Game 3: Holland v. Johnson – Derek Holland and Brian Johnson lock horns and each throw five innings of shutout ball to start this game.

North Carolina scores first when Roman Quinn in sacrificed home after a one-out triple. But Flagstaff strikes back in the bottom of the frame when Goldschmidt homers and Springer raps a RBI single to put the Outlaws up, 2-1.

In the seventh, Joe Panik comes off the bench and pop a two-run homer to give the Outlaws more breathing room. Jonathan Villar ends the scoring with a solo bomb in the eighth and Flagstaff takes the game, 5-1.

W: Johnson (2-1)
L: Wilson (0-1)
Sv: Moya (1)
HRs: ISP – none; FLG – Goldschmidt (3), Panik (1), Villar (3).

Game 4: Oswalt v. Romero – Flagstaff takes a 2-1 lead after one inning after Odor and Springer trade home runs.

Yolmer Sanchez evens the game for the Spider Pigs as he doubles home Quinn in the top of the fifth, but once again the Outlaws answer when Goldy launches a two-run blast.

But the Pigs don’t give up. They chip away with single runs in the next two innings, thanks to a Quinn double in the sixth and a double steal in the seventh, and the score stands at 4-4 after seven.

The game stays that way into extra innings. Ryan Pressly is asked to pitch the 11th in a non-save situation. He gets the first two out before walking Sanchez. Ian Happ uses the extra life to pop a two-run homer that put the Pigs out front, 6-4.

Caleb Ferguson had finished the 10th for North Carolina and breezed through a 1-2-3 11th to earn the Pigs the win, 6-4.

W: Ferguson (1-0)
L: Pressly (0-1)
Sv: None
HRs: ISP – Odor (5), Happ (3); FLG – Springer (4), Goldschmidt (4).