CarL1 Lynchburg Hillcats

Hillcats Beat Pelicans up the Middle

Published on August 24, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release


Myrtle Beach, SC - * The Hillcats scored early and hung on late Wednesday night to take their third straight win and seventh in their last eight games. Lynchburg led 3-0 in the fifth inning. Good pitching and great defense, including four 6-4-3 double plays, allowed them to fend off the Pelicans late and win 3-2.

Keenan Wiley led off the game with a double to right field for the Hillcats. He advanced to third base on a fly ball to deep left. Todd Cunningham then brought him home with an RBI groundout to second base.

Lynchburg added another in the second inning. With two outs, Marcus Lemon and Geraldo Rodriguez drew walks to put runners at first and second for L.V. Ware. Ware looped a single to right field, scoring Lemon and the 'Cats led 2-0.

In the fifth the Hillcats scored their third and final run. The inning could have been much more lucrative if not for a base running blunder between third and home. The bases were loaded with one out. Christian Bethancourt singled into center field. Andrelton Simmons scored from third, and Joey Terdoslavich was following behind before he reached home. He got back to his feet and continued to the plate but was tagged out. Lemon reloaded the bases with an infield single before Rodriguez struck out to end the inning. Lynchburg led 3-0.

Myrtle Beach started to comeback in the bottom of the fifth. Starter Chris Masters finally saw some trouble after holding the Pelicans scoreless through the first four frames. After a single and a walk, Masters was helped by a popped up sacrifice bunt attempt. Bethancourt made the catch behind home plate for out number one. Ryan Strausborger then doubled in a run putting runners and second and third. The next batter walked to load the bases, but a bases loaded 6-4-3 double play ended the inning with no further damage.

Masters came back out in the sixth inning but would not finish. He walked the first batter, got a groundout and then hit a batter before RHP Robert Roth relieved him. Roth threw one pitch, inducing another 6-4-3 double play to end the threat. It was the third straight inning the Hillcats had gotten out of with a 6-4-3 double play.

Roth stayed in the game and surrendered an unearned run in the seventh. He threw a ball away at first base after fielding a tapper back to the mound. That run eventually scored on a sacrifice fly three batters later. The Hillcats still led 3-2.

RHP Eliecer Cardenas entered the game in the eighth inning. His first batter singled. Then, David Paisano grounded into the fourth 6-4-3 double play of the night. Cardenas went on to retire his next four batters in order to finish the eighth and ninth innings and Hillcats held on to win.

Masters (9-5) earned the win allowing just one run through five and one-third innings. Kennil Gomez (2-5) took the loss surrendering all three of the Hillcats runs on eight hits in five innings of work. Cardenas shut the door in the end, recording his sixth save of the year.

The Hillcats are now 27-31 in the second half, still five games back of the Potomac Nationals for a playoff spot with just 11 games left.

Lynchburg looks to sweep the Pelicans tomorrow night at 7:05 pm. RHP David Hale (3-6) will start for the Hillcats agaist RHP Justin Grimm (4-2) for the Pelicans. Listen live to all the action starting with the Hillcats On-Deck Show powered by Honda/Suzuki of Lynchburg on 105.5 KD Country and online at lynchburg-hillcats.com.

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Carolina League Stories from August 24, 2011


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