The Lorain County Ironmen were looking for a win.

Anyway they could get it.

The Ironmen, who are currently on a four-game losing streak, including three on the road, the Ironmen will have to wait another day. Their 3-2 lead was erased when Slippery Rock Sliders tied the game at three in the eighth inning, before the game was halted by lightning and rain on Saturday night at the Pipe Yard in front of 122 fans.

The Ironmen overcame an early 2-0 deficit in the bottom of the second inning as Mike Grieco’s suicide-squeeze bunt with the bases loaded, scored Stephen Hagan, who led off the inning with a walk. Matt Toth then followed with an RBI single to right field to score Austin Ingraham, who was on with a single. Matt McAllester then joined the rally with an RBI single to right field, scoring Grieco from second base to give the Ironmen a 3-2 lead.

Ironmen starting pitcher Michael Pereslucha pitched eight strong inning, allowing just three runs and scattering eight hits. He allowed two runs on three hits in the second inning when he loaded the bases with no outs, but was able to induce a double-play ball hit by Kevin Simms, who just joined the Sliders from Wright State.

The McAllester-to-DiBiasio-to-Ingraham double play scored Jeremy Banks, who led off with a single to right center field. Phil Bondi followed with an RBI single to score Matt Fenster, who reached on a walk.

Pereslucha got into a jam in the third inning with two outs when he allowed a double to Kyle Mossbarger and a walk to Matt Baer, but he got Banks to fly out to Evan Melendez in right field for the inning-ending out.

The Ironmen had a chance to add to their 3-2 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning, but DiBiasio, who doubled with one out, was picked off second base with one out and Tony Brunetti was caught looking at strike three with McAllester, who drew a walk, stranded at second base.

The Sliders tied the game at three in the top of the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly RBI by Fenster, scoring Matt Baer, who drew a walk and went to third on a Jeremy Banks’ double.

The game was officially postponed at 10:44 p.m. with no make-up date scheduled.
The Ironmen play today at 6:05 p.m. against the DeKalb County Liners at the Pipe Yard. Kids will get to run the bases after the game.

Notes
• The Ironmen signed two pitchers in Eric Knight and Chris Barnett. Knight pitched at Oberlin College and Barnett pitched at West Virginia Tech.

• Ironmen pitcher J.R. Osborne, of Ohio Wesleyan, was placed on the injured reserve.

• Ironmen third baseman River McWilliams had two base-running gaffes Saturday night. In the second inning, he was caught at third base as James DiBiasio was attempting a suicide-squeeze bunt. McWilliams broke for home, but the pitch was way outside and DiBiasio was unable to get any wood on it. In the fourth, after reaching on an error and taking second base on a heads up play, tried to score from second base on an infield single by DiBiasio. He rounded third and headed home as the throw got to the first baseman, who threw a strike to catch a non-sliding McWilliams at home by a few steps.

• Pereslucha made his second start of the season against the Slippery Rock Sliders on Saturday night. He started, but didn’t get the decision last week in a 5-3 win over the Sliders in Pennsylvania.

• The Ironmen began the day as the Prospect League leaders in stolen bases with 28. McAllester leads the team with nine.

swalker@MorningJournal.com