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Overall effort lifts IronPigs

ALLENTOWN - In a season where Lehigh Valley is just 4-14 in one-run games and mired in a 21-game stretch that yielded just six wins, the IronPigs are hoping to have turned the corner.

Last night, Lehigh Valley finally put it all together as the IronPigs downed the Buffalo Bison 6-3 at Coca Cola Park for their second straight win."We got pitching, some timely hitting, and played good defense," Huppert said.No hit was more important than the two out, two strike worm burner that came off the bat of shortstop Brian Bocock in the sixth inning. Lehigh Valley had just tied the game 3-3 when Neil Sellers doubled in John Mayberry.With Sellers advancing to third on a wild pitch, Bocock's hit off the end of the bat was booted by second baseman Andy Green."I knew off the bat that it had a chance because I knew that spin was going to be tough to handle," 'Pig pitcher Joe Savery said.With the one run lead Huppert pulled Savery for Alex Concepcion and closer Scott Mathieson delivered a two-inning save, his seventh of the season.Catcher Dane Sardinha's two run blast in the bottom of the eighth inning sealed the deal."I'm hoping this is something we can build on," Huppert said of the second straight win, "Maybe we can string a few of these together."Starter Joe Savery pitched an effective six innings for the IronPigs giving up three runs and striking out three."I thought I threw the ball maybe the best that I have, tonight. There were no easy outs," Savery said. "(Buffalo) battled every pitch."Savery, who battled control problems in his early start, In scattering seven hits and walking none, earned his first win of the season."He was around the strike zone," Huppert said of Savery, "He gave up some hits but you can give up hits if you aren't walking people.With a 2-1 lead, Savery avoided disaster in the fourth inning. Buffalo put together a rally with three of the first four getting hits to tie the game. Savery plunked Ruben Tejada to load the bases with one out.A seeing-eye single by Emmanuel Garcia gave the Bison the lead."If I don't' that shortstop, there were ways I could have got out that inning with just one run." Savery said. "I really tried to simplify things and I battled through."The IronPigs face Buffalo again tonight in the final of the four games series and the eight game homestand with Andrew Carpenter on the mound for Lehigh Valley.Pig Pad: Scott Matheison is 7-for-7 in save opportunities ... Neil Sellers continued to warm up with three more hits last night, raising his batting average to .244 ... Cody Ransom committed his 13th error of the season last night ... Savoring Savery: "We all want to win more than we're wining and we're not going to win by tuckin' our tails."