The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders scored four runs in the second inning and never looked back in a 9-5 victory over the Iowa Cubs on Friday at Principal Park.
Four games into the series, the RailRiders (20-9 second half, 57-46 overall) outscored Iowa, 30-11. They also stretched their winning streak to five, and are tied atop the International League East second-half standings with the Durham Bulls.
In the top of the second, Duke Ellis hit a single to right that scored Tyler Hardman to give the RailRiders a 1-0 lead. Then, J.C. Escarra lined a two-run single to center, and Marco Luciano grounded an RBI single to center to increase the lead to 4-0.
Luciano, who finished with four hits, lined an RBI double to left, and Yanquiel Fernández ripped an RBI single to right to give the RailRiders a 6-0 lead in the top of the sixth.
Iowa (13-18, 43-60) got on the board in the bottom half of the inning, when Owen Ayers lined an RBI single to center.
However, the RailRiders pushed the lead to seven, as Escarra was hit by pitch with the bases loaded in the seventh, and Cole Gabrielson hit an RBI single to right in the eighth.
Then, Kevin Alcántara hit an RBI single to right, Chas McCormick lined a single to center and Greg Jones scored Alcántara on a groundout to cut the deficit to 8-4 in the bottom of the eighth.
Oswaldo Cabrera hit a sacrifice fly to right in the ninth to give the RailRiders a 9-4 lead.
Owen Miller had an RBI groundout in the ninth, but Iowa couldn’t muster any more runs.
The series was scheduled to continue Saturday at 7:08 p.m.