Lynchburg Walks off with Mills Cup Title

As a result, Winston-Salem fell two wins short of a record 12th Mills Cup since joining the Carolina League as a charter member in 1945. Still, the Dash finished with a first- and second-half Southern Division Championship and the best overall and home record among the 120 full-season minor league baseball teams.

The Dash took a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth before Edward Salcedo and Michael Spina strung together consecutive doubles to knot the score against Taylor Thompson, who posted a 0.55 earned run average during the second half.

After spoiling a chance to win it in the ninth and 10th, Lynchburg loaded the bases in the bottom of the 11th thanks to an infield single, an error and a bunt single. Then, Milligan flew a ball to right-center, and Michael Earley's throw was not in time to throw out Matt Weaver.

The Hillcats took an early 1-0 lead in the first before Winston knotted the score on a Courtney Hawkins run-producing single in the second. The Dash tacked on single tallies in the fifth and sixth to take a two-run lead. Keenyn Walker doubled home a run to make it 2-1 before Mike Blanke's solo shot to left in the sixth pushed the lead to a pair.

However, Lynchburg plated two in the home half of the sixth after Nick Ahmed, who finished Game 4 with four hits, hit an RBI double and scored on a wild pitch.

The Dash once again claimed a one-run advantage in the seventh. David Herbek, who reached base all four times in his first start of the playoffs, led off the frame with a double, and Daniel Wagner drove him in with a sacrifice fly to left-center field.

Winston-Salem missed out on a chance to force a winner-take-all Game 5 in the Mills Cup Finals for the first time on this circuit since 2005. The Hillcats extended the recent dominance for the Northern side of the CL, claiming the division's sixth Mills Cup in a row.

The Dash will begin their fifth season in early April, and BB&T Ballpark will play host to its fourth season of family friendly entertainment in 2013. The schedule will be released sometime in the autumn.

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Carolina League Stories from September 12, 2012

• Lynchburg Walks off with Mills Cup Title - Winston-Salem Dash
• Milligan the Hero in 11th Inning Mills Cup Championship Win - Lynchburg Hillcats
• Rash & Fargnoli Elevated to New Roles - Wilmington Blue Rocks
• Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Lynchburg Hillcats

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