Hillcats Lose 6-5, But Clinch Playoff Berth
September 1, 2015 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release
Lynchburg attempted to rally from a four-run deficit, but came up short in a 6-5 loss to the Salem Red Sox on Tuesday night at City Stadium. The Frederick Keys lost at home to the Carolina Mudcats, sending the Hillcats to their fourth straight postseason appearance.
SCORING EARLY
Clint Frazier doubled with two outs in the first inning and came home to score when Joe Sever hit a fly ball into center field that was dropped by Mike Meyers to give the Hillcats a 1-0 lead. Salem tied the game in the top of the second when Franklin Guzman cranked a solo home run over the left field wall to make it 2-all.
Lynchburg once again took the lead in the bottom of the second as Sicnarf Loopstok hit his fourth home run of the season to put the Hillcats ahead 2-1.
FIVE-RUN FRAME
Salem jumped out to a 6-2 lead with a five-run frame in the top of the fourth inning. Mitch Brown surrendered three-straight hits to begin the inning with a single to Mike Meyers followed by a two-run home run by Guzman, his second of the night, to give Salem a 3-2 lead. Deiner Lopez singled in the next at-bat and scored on a RBI double by Mauricio Dubon that made it 4-2. Carlos Coste, who walked earlier in the frame, scored on a two-RBI double by Yoilan Cerse to complete the scoring with the Red Sox leading 6-2.
CHIP AWAY
Lynchbug responded in the bottom of the frame as Paul Hendrix singled to lead off and scored on a RBI double by Mike Papi that made the score 6-3. In the bottom of the sixth, Lynchburg cranked out three straight singles to load the bases before Loopstok drew a walk to cut the lead to two, 6-4. Claudio Bautista hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Paul Hendrix from third to bring the Hillcats within one, 6-5, but the rally ended there.
BULLPEN HOLDS STRONG
With the Hillcats trailing 6-2 in the fifth, Antonio Romero entered the game in relief of Mitch Brown, who surrendered a season-high six runs on seven hits over four innings. Romero combined with David Speer, J.P. Feyereisen, and Grant Sides to pitch five scoreless innings to help the Hillcats chip away at the Salem lead, but the Hillcats left the tying run on base in the ninth and fell 6-5.
As a team, the Hillcats struck out a season-high 17 batters, breaking the previous mark of 16 that was set against Potomac on Opening Day. Mitch Brown struck out six batters over four innings. Antonio Romero struck out five in the six outs he recorded over two innings of relief. Speer struck out two batters and walked one in an inning of relief. Feyereisen struck out the side in the eighth and Grant Sides picked up a punchout in the ninth.
KEEPING UP WITH THE CATS
Mike Papi went 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and a RBI against the Red Sox...It marks the first time Papi has recorded three hits in a game since August 11 against Frederick...With a Frederick loss to Carolina, the Hillcats clinch a playoff berth for the fourth straight season, marking the first time the team has made four straight playoff appearances since the franchise clinched four in a row from 1982-1985 as a Mets affiliate.
UP NEXT
Lynchburg looks to get back in the win column against the Salem Red Sox on Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. Fans can tune in to the action on ESPN Virginia 93.3 FM and 1320 AM as well as www.lynchburg-hillcats.com beginning at 6:10 p.m. for the Hillcats On-Deck Show.
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Carolina League Stories from September 1, 2015
- Mudcats Outlast Keys in 8-5 Road Win - Carolina Mudcats
- Keys Eliminated from Playoff Contention Following 8-5 Defeat - Frederick Keys
- Hillcats Lose 6-5, But Clinch Playoff Berth - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Rocks Drop First Game of Final Home Stand of Regular Season to Dash - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Narvaez's Four Hits Carry Winston Past Wilmington - Winston-Salem Dash
- Red Sox Hang on for 6-5 Win over Hillcats - Salem Red Sox
- Hart and Marin to Play in Arizona Fall League - Frederick Keys
- September 1 Carolina Mudcats Game Information - Carolina Mudcats
- Hillcats Game Notes September 1, 2015, 6:30 p.m. vs Salem - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Pelicans Game Notes: 7:05 p.m. ET at Potomac Nationals - September 1, 2015 - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes (September 1 at Wilmington) - Winston-Salem Dash
- Hess Receives Promotion to Double-A Bowie - Frederick Keys
- Schrader Transferred to Triple-A Gwinnett - Carolina Mudcats
- LHP Jordan Guerrero Activated - Winston-Salem Dash
- Kansas City Royals Announce Arizona Fall League Roster - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Pelicans and Blue Rocks Doubleheader Set for Saturday, September 5 - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
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