CarL1 Lynchburg Hillcats

Dropped Third Strike Gives Cats Walk-off Win

Published on May 7, 2010 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release


Devin Mesoraco swung and missed on a 2-2 breaking ball that got passed Myrtle Beach catcher Jesus Sucre, and Jose Gualdron scored from third to give Lynchburg a 6-5 win.

It was the third straight wild pitch that advanced Neftalio Soto to second (he was pinch ran for by Gualdron), then Gualdron to third and home. The Hillcats win their third come-from-behind, walk-off win in the past four days.

Myrtle Beach jumped on Lynchburg starter Curtis Partch for three early runs in the first three innings. In the second, Gerardo Avila led off with a double. After a line drive went in and out of the glove of Partch off the bat of Samuel Sime, Avila scored on Partch's throwing error.

Gerry Rodriguez hit a two-run homer in the third to add two more to the Pelicans' lead.

The Hillcats got on the board in the fourth with four straight hits to lead off the inning. Miguel Rojas led off with a double, and scored on Josh Fellhauer's double. Fellhauer scored on Cody Puckett's double.

Unfortunately, Myrtle Beach scored twice to answer back in the next inning. Rodriguez's second homer of the night put the Pelicans up 5-2.

Kyle Day drove in a run in the bottom of the fifth to get one back, and Alex Buchholz doubled in Carlos Mendez in the sixth to pull the game within one.

In a wild bottom of the eighth, the Hillcats were able to pull even. Carlos Mendez reached with a leadoff single. Mesoraco followed with a groundball to pitcher Benino Pruneda, but Pruneda threw the ball into centerfield trying to turn a double play. The runners advanced to second and third. Buchholz again stepped up and drove in the game-tying run.

With a tie game in the bottom of the ninth, Soto hit a one-out single. Mendez flew out to right. With Mesoraco up, Jaye Chapman threw a wild pitch to advance Soto to second. Gualdron then came in to pinch run. Chapman threw two more wild pitches after that, striking out Devin Mesoraco, but Mesoraco reached on a dropped third strike. Gualdron scored from third on the strike three pitch.

Curtis Partch threw six innings for the Cats. He gave up five runs, four earned and eight hits while striking out four. Nick Christiani and Jordan Hotchkiss threw three scoreless innings of relief. Hotchkiss earns the win, he's now 3-0. Chapman gets the loss.

Lynchburg and Myrtle continue their 3-game weekend set tomorrow night at 6:05. City Stadium hosts the 4th Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Night at the ballpark. The Hillcats will wear commemorative pink jerseys that will be auctioned off. The proceeds will benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Lynchburg sends righty Brad Boxberger (3-1, 1.44 ERA) to the mound against Myrtle Beach lefty Jose Ortegano (1-3, 5.71).

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Carolina League Stories from May 7, 2010


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