Tides’ lead evaporates

Norfolk squanders 7-0 edge in series opener against Lehigh Valley

Darick Hall’s league-leading 18th homer of the season helped the Lehigh Valley IronPigs cap a big comeback in their 10-7 victory over the Norfolk Tides on Tuesday night before 6,890 fans at CocaCola Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Hall hit a three-run shot in the bottom of the fifth inning to give Lehigh Valley (37-30) an 8-7 lead after the Tides had led 7-0 just an inning and a half earlier.

Norfolk pitchers allowed 58 runs in six home games against Syracuse last week, and things didn’t get any better in the opener of this six-game road series.

It looked good early for the Tides, who scored twice in the fourth inning and five times in the fifth to go up 7-0. Jonathan Arauz hit a two-run double in the fourth off IronPigs starter Ricardo Sánchez. Terrin Vavra added another two-run double in the fifth and Jordan Westburg later hit a three-run homer, his fourth long ball as a Tide.

Norfolk starter DL Hall had pitched well to that point, but he gave up five runs — two earned — in the bottom of the fifth. Scott Kingery led off with a solo homer, Drew Maggi reached on a throwing error that scored a run, and Darick Hall followed with an RBI single. Reliever Ryan Conroy replaced Hall and allowed another RBI single along with a sacrifice fly.

Darick Hall hit his three-run homer in the next inning off Tides reliever Kevin Smith (0-5), who allowed five runs in three innings. Hall finished 2 for 5 with four RBIs and took the International League home run lead over Omaha’s Vinnie Pasquantino, a former Old Dominion star who has 17 homers.

Lehigh Valley added an insurance run in both the seventh and eighth innings. On the mound, reliever Jonathan Hennigan (3-0) combined with three other pitchers to toss 5 scoreless innings after Sanchez allowed all seven Norfolk runs.

The IronPigs hit four homers, three of which were solo shots.

Araúz paced the Tides with three hits and two RBIs. Outfielder Kyle Stowers was hit by a pitch in the ribs in the second inning. He singled in the fourth but then came out of the game because of the injury, and he was listed Wednesday as day-to-day.

The teams were set to resume the series Wednesday night.