Cats Take Rubber Match From P-Nats
May 31, 2009 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release
Quality pitching, timely hitting and some outstanding defensive plays sparked Lynchburg to a 6-1 victory over Potomac at City Stadium Sunday. Lynchburg concluded a 5-1 homestand with the win. The Hillcats hit the road for a seven-game road trip, beginning at Frederick on Monday night.
After Potomac's Jeff Mandel and Lynchburg's Chi-Hung Cheng took turns tossing scoreless frames through the first two innings, the Hillcats grabbed a lead in the third.
With runners at first and second and two out, Potomac elected to issue an intentional walk to Lynchburg slugger Pedro Alvarez, loading the bases for Matt Hague. Hague responded with a two-run single that scored Alex Presley and Jose De Los Santos. Miles Durham followed with an RBI single that plated Alvarez and gave Lynchburg a 3-0 advantage.
Cheng tossed two scoreless innings after being staked to a three-run lead, aided in part by his defense. After Brian Peacock singled to lead off the fifth, Lynchburg catcher Joel Collins thwarted Peacock's stolen base attempt by firing a strike to De Los Santos at second. Alvarez made a spectacular diving stop on a grounder off the bat of Boomer Whiting and threw Whiting out from his knees to end the Potomac fifth.
The Hillcats added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth. Jordy Mercer led off the frame with a single and advanced to second on a groundout by Alvarez. Hague drove in his former college teammate with an RBI single. After Durham flew out to center field, Maiko Loyola belted a two-run home run over the right-field wall to give Lynchburg a commanding 6-0 advantage.
Mike Colla inherited a sticky situation when he replaced Cheng with the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth. Colla got out of the jam when De Los Santos dove onto the grass in right field to rob Aaron Seuss of a base hit.
The P-Nats got on the board when Danny Espinosa led off the eighth inning with a solo home run, his second homer in as many games, which reduced the Lynchburg lead to 6-1.
Colla recovered to retire the next three Potomac batters before giving way to Michael Dubee, who worked a perfect ninth to complete the 6-1 victory.
Cheng (5-2) pitched 5.2 scoreless innings to pick up his fifth win of the season. Mandel (6-2) took the loss for Potomac. Both of Mandel's losses have come against Lynchburg at City Stadium opposite Cheng.
With the victory, Lynchburg improved to (32-17) and gained a game on Potomac (26-21) in the Carolina League Northern Division standings. The Hillcats hold a five-game edge over the second-place P-Nats.
Lynchburg travels to Frederick on Monday night to begin a seven-game road trip against the Keys and the Wilmington Blue Rocks. Monday's game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start. The Hillcats will return home for a three-game series against Frederick on June 9.
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Carolina League Stories from May 31, 2009
- Cats Take Rubber Match From P-Nats - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Pelicans Take Second Straight Series - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Wilmington Offense Fizzles in Loss - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Shirek Shines as Dash Take Finale Over K-Tribe - Winston-Salem Dash
- Mandel Roughed Up as P-Nats Fall to Cats - Potomac Nationals
- Winston-Salem Slips by Kinston 4-3 - Kinston Indians
- Matusz Shuts Out Red Sox - Frederick Keys
- Matusz Masterful in 6-0 Blanking of Red Sox - Salem Red Sox
- OF Valdez Placed on DL - Potomac Nationals
- Nationals Game Notes for May 31 - Potomac Nationals
- Hillcats Game Notes for May 31 - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Kinston Indians Game Notes for May 31 - Kinston Indians
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