Three home runs backed a solid start by Alexander Cornielle and enabled the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders to defeat the Charlotte Knights for the second consecutive game, 5-3, on Friday night at PNC Field in Moosic.
Tyler Hardman, J.C. Escarra and Anthony Volpe each went deep for the RailRiders (27-19, 64-56), who made the most of their four hits. The other was a single by Oswaldo Cabrera.
New York Yankees all-star Cody Bellinger played his second game of a rehab assignment as he works his way back from a left hamstring strain that has sidelined him since July 26. He went 0 for 3 with one strikeout and played six innings in left field, making two putouts and one throwing error.
Hardman sent the first pitch of the bottom of the third inning from Charlotte starter Jonathan Cannon 421 feet out to left field for his 11th home run with the RailRiders and 24th overall this season to give the RailRiders a 1-0 lead.
With one out in the bottom of the fourth, Mitch Garver walked. Escarra then unloaded on a 1-0 pitch from Cannon for a two-run home run and a 3-0 RailRiders advantage. The ball traveled 422 feet to the grassy area beyond the right-center field fence and was Escarra’s eighth home run of the season.
Cornielle allowed one run and one hit with five walks and five strikeouts in 5.1 innings. He left after walking Ryan Galanie in the top of the sixth. Chris Kean came on and Junior Perez lined a double off the top of the outstretched glove of Bellinger in left field, scoring Galanie. When the throw from Bellinger deflected off the glove of shortstop Cabrera, Perez went to third on the error. He scored when Mario Camilletti doubled into the left-field corner to cut the Charlotte deficit to 3-2.
Volpe provided some insurance for the RailRiders in the bottom of the eighth. With Ernesto Martinez Jr. aboard via a leadoff walk, Volpe deposited a 2-0 pitch from Garrett Schoenle over the center field fence 430 feet away to make it 5-2. It was the second game in a row Volpe hit a two-run home run and was his fifth with the RailRiders this season.
In the top of the ninth against Danny Watson, the Knights tried to rally. With one out, Andy Weber walked, Caden Connor doubled and Rikuu Nishida singled to score Weber. But with the tying runs on base, second baseman Volpe made a diving stop of a ground ball hit by Edgar Quero. While seated on the ground, Volpe threw to Cabrera for the out at second. Cabrera then fired the ball to first base to nip Quero for a game-ending double play.
On Saturday at 6:05 p.m., the series continues with Yankees No. 28 prospect Brendan Beck (9-2, 2.75) on the mound for the RailRiders against Charlotte righthander David Sandlin (1-0, 2.14), the No. 11 prospect in the Chicago White Sox organization.