The IronPigs Tom “Life is a Highway”* Cochran and rightie prospect Alex Wilson for Pawtucket began on the Hill. Dom Brown gets the start in LF, Mitchell in CF, and Montanez in RF, Frandsen, Thompson, Kratz get the rest.
This being Coach Sandberg’s fourth different line-up in as many days hopefully the ‘Pigs can earn the split in chilly Rhode Island.
TOP 1 (‘Pigs jump to early lead)
Andres Blanco (SS) singled and advanced to 3rd on a balk and then a wild pitch and and scored on a sac fly by Lou Montanez (CF). Pigs lead 1-0.
Joe Thurston (2B) flied out to center Hector Luna (3B) goes down swinging to end the inning.
Top 2 (Play at the Plate)
Dom Brown lead off with a walk and moved to 2nd on a single by Cody Overbeck to left, a 2nd wild pitch of the game moves up the runners.
Derrick Mitchell strikes out swinging.
Tuffy Gosewhisch launches what was surely a sac fly to right to score another ‘Pigs run but Alex Hassan (RF) gunned down Dom Brown at home on a strong throw to home ending the inning. The MiLB TV replay appeared to show Brown slide under that tag. ‘Pigs 1-0
Bottom 2 (It’s all tied up)
Mauro Gomez (1B) takes a 0-2 pitch and launches it over the left field fence to bring the PawSox even, 1-1.
Will Middlebrooks (3B) struck out swinging.
Jason Repko (DH) bunt singles to pitcher Cochran and he tosses it down the right field line moving Repko to 2nd.
Che-Hsuan Lin (CF) popped out in fair territory on a shot up the elevator shaft for the 2nd out.
Luis Exposito (C) flied out to center to end the inning. Pigs 1 – Sox 1
Top 3 (Blanco blanked)
Andres Blanco (SS) got his 2nd hit with a liner to right and is LOB following 3 straight outs.
Bottom 3 (Sox take the lead)
Alex Hassan was the recipient of the first official walk of the 2012 season. Third baseman Hector Luna made a great backhand stab off the bat of Pedro Ciriaco (SS) to punch out the speedy Hassan at 2nd.
Ciriaco moved to 2nd when Cochran hits a piece of fuzz on Nate Spears, (2B) jersey for a HBP.
Daniel Nava (LF) ripped a pitch to left and a poor throw by Dom Brown results in Ciriaco scoring and the first lead for Pawtucket, 2-1.
Gomez flies out to Brown in left for the 2nd out. Sox are still up 2-1.
Bottom 4 (Super-Tuff)
“You don’t step on super-man’s cape, you don’t spit in the wind and you don’t run on Tuffy Gosewisch”*. Tuffy with a strong (SO) / throw out double play to punch out Jason Repko (DH) on a caught stealing – 2 out.
Cochran, after surrendering 2 walks to Exposito and Hassan escaped further damage with a charging play and throw to first by second baseman Joe Thurston off the bat of Pedro Ciriaco.
Top 6 (Dom Brown – Redemption)
Right-hander Chorye Spoon now pitching for the PawSox.
Andres Blanco grounds out to second baseman Nate Spears. 1-out
Two walks to Thurston and Montanez lead off the 6th bringing former Pig Killer Hector Luna to the plate. The runners advanced on a passed ball with runners on 2nd and 3rd and Luna strikes out – two down.
Dom Brown came through with two huge RBIs on his first hit of 2012 after chopping a grounder up the middle past the diving Ciriaco. Let’s hope that’s the beginning of Dom Brown’s come-back year!
Overbeck grounds out to end the inning. Pigs up 3-2.
Bottom 6 (Horst Power)
Lefty Jeremy Horst takes the hill to make his IronPigs debut.
Jason Repko struck out swinging. 1-down
Horst ranges to his right and makes a strong throw to spank out the swift a foot Che-Hsuan Lin. 2-down
Exposito – Cut on and missed for the easy 3-up 3-down for Jeremy Horst.
Pigs 3 – Sox 2
Top 7 (3 LOB – RISP – again)
Derrick Mitchell lead off with a perfect bunt single past the pitcher.
Tuffy Gosewisch struck out swinging – Mitchell is on second after a stolen base.
Suomi goes down swinging. 2 down
Pitching change – Will Inman (right-hander) on the hill for Pawtucket to face Andres Blanco.
Blanco walks bringing up Joe Thurston who also walks to load the bases.
Lou Montanez with 3 runners in scoring position proceeded to work the count full only to pop-out to Nate Spears just behind first base.
Bottom 7 (Phillipe “Wild Thing Williams” Aumont – gets the save)
Phillipe Aumont on the mound for his first attempted save of the year.
9th batter Hassan works a full-count and flies out to Derrick Mitchell. 1-out
Ciriaco is pounded in the upper arm by a 92+ MPH fast ball and reaches first. Still 1-out.
Spears draws a 4 pitch walk to move the tying run to 2nd and bring the winning run on base.
Nava also draws a walk to load the bases. 1-out
Gomez grounds out in a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.
Pigs Fly! On their way to a 3-1 record!
Cochran gets the win, Horst a hold, and Aumont his first (nail-biting) save of the year.
Strong pitching and (finally) some clutch hitting with RISP earned the IronPigs the split of the double-header.
I vote for no more 7 inning games!
OinK
DiPro’s Dish
*credit to Matt Provence
noisenation.mlblogs.com 
1. You’ll never mistake Aumont for Mitchy. 🙂 Life in The Show made Mitchy what he is, as he will readily tell you on MLBN. Aumont has to get there first.
2. You’d have to ask farm-system officials, e.g. Steve Noworyta, why there are still 7-inning games in MiLB doubleheaders.