Tired of ads? Subscribers enjoy a distraction-free reading experience.
Click here to subscribe today or Login.

There’s just no slowing down Ben Gamel, Mason Williams and the rest of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

And now, a playoff spot is in reach by the end of this week.

Williams drilled a bases-loaded, two-run double to break a mid-game tie Monday and Gamel homered and drove in two runs as the RailRiders moved their magic number to clinch an International League playoff spot to five games by coming back for a 5-3 victory over Lehigh Valley.

The win widened the gap to five games between the division leading 81-48 RailRiders and 76-53 Lehigh Valley in the International League North.

Gamel got things started by opening the game with a home run.

Lehigh Valley responded by jumping on top in the bottom of the first, when Nick Williams tripled home J.P. Crawford and scored on Darin Ruf’s single to left field.

But the RailRiders evened the score when Mason Williams singled, moved to second base on a balk, then dashed home on Gamel’s single to left field in the fourth inning.

And inning later, the RailRiders rallied to take the lead for good.

Kyle Higashioka started the surge by working a walk, then Donovan Solano and Cesar Puello both singled to fill the bases. Mason Williams then drove a two-run double to right field, scoring Higashioka and Solano for a 4-2 RailRiders lead.

The IronPigs closed within a run in the sixth inning, when Brock Stassi walked and eventually scored when Crawford drew a bases-loaded walk.

But a comedy of errors allowed the RailRiders a little more breathing room in the ninth inning.

Clint Frazier reached base on a Lehigh Valley error, took third when Rob Refsnyder’s single was overthrown for another IronPigs error, then scored when Higashioka reached on single that turned into another error.

Jonathan Holder struck out two batters in a perfect ninth to earn his fifth save. Dietrich Enns earned the victory and moved his record to a team-best 7-2 by pitching three innings of one-run relief.

RailRiders 5, Lehigh Valley 3

RailRiders`AB`R`H`BI

Gamel lf`5`1`2`2

Frazier rf`4`1`0`0

Refsnyder 2b`5`0`2`0

Higashioka c`3`1`0`1

Solano 3b`5`1`2`0

Puello dh`4`0`1`0

Williams cf`3`1`2`2

Kozma 1b`3`0`0`0

Culver ss`4`0`1`0

Totals`36`5`10`5

Lehigh ValleyHome`AB`R`H`BI

Perkins cf`5`0`1`0

Craword ss`2`1`0`1

Williams rf`5`1`1`1

Ruf dh`5`0`2`1

Asche lf`4`0`1`0

Knapp c`5`0`0`0

Stassi 1b`2`1`1`0

Sweeney 3b`3`0`1`0

Valentin 2b`3`0`1`0

Totals`34`3`8`3

RailRiders`100`120`001`—`5

Lehigh Valley`200`001`000`—`3

2B — M. Williams. 3B — N. Williams. HR — Gamel.

RailRiders`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Bleier`3`5`2`2`2`2

Enns, W (7-2)`3`2`1`1`3`3

Barbato, H (4)`1`1`0`0`1`1

Shreve, H (2)`1`0`0`0`1`0

Holder, S (5)`1`0`0`0`0`2

Lehigh Valley`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SO

Vasquez`4`6`2`2`3`4

Miner, L (0-1)`1`3`2`2`1`1

Rodriguez`2`0`0`0`0`2

Murray`2`1`1`0`1`2

https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_SWB-logo2-5.jpg.optimal.jpg

Times Leader

Reach Times Leader sports at 570-829-7143 or on Twitter @TLSports