Goodrum Homers on Daughter’s Birthday, WooSox Outlast Lehigh Valley 7-5

By Stephen Ur

The Worcester Red Sox hosted the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs in the first game of the series at Polar Park in Worcester, MA on Tuesday night. The WooSox were coming into the game at one game over .500 after an impressive series out in Norfolk, VA last week.

First baseman Niko Goodrum hit a home run in the bottom of the second inning to give Worcester a 1-0 lead. What made this moment that much for special for him was that he was also celebrating his daughter’s second birthday on Tuesday night.

The Ironpigs broke it open in the third inning when both Jake Cave and Drew Ellis doubled in a three-run inning. Lehigh Valley took that 3-1 lead into the fourth.

In the bottom of the fourth, Bobby Dalbec hit his eighth home run to make it a 3-2 game. The Ironpigs would add on two more and led 5-2 headed into the bottom of the seventh.

With the score 5-4 in the eighth, Goodrum hit a single, allowing Nick Sogard to score and tie the game at five. Daniel Palka would drive in both Goodrum and Stephen Scott, and the WooSox led 7-5.

Cave would ground out in a double play to end the game. Worcester took the opening game, 7-5. Game two of this series will be played Wednesday night at Polar Park in Worcester, MA. First pitch is set for 6:45 p.m. ET.