Hillcats Fall 11-8 in See-Saw Slugfest
Published on July 19, 2012 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Hill City Howlers News Release
Woodbridge, VA - The lead changed hands three times after the Hillcats went ahead 2-0 in the third inning with the Potomac Nationals eventually winning 11-8 in the series finale Thursday afternoon. Nick Ahmed highlighted the offensive attack for the 'Cats going 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, and four runs scored.
After two scoreless frames, the Hillcats jumped on the board with two runs in the third inning. Shawn McGill brought Ahmed home with a sacrifice fly to right field. Back-to-back two-out doubles for Adam Milligan and Braeden Schlehuber followed to give the HIllcats a 2-0 lead.
The Nationals tied the game in the bottom of the third. Starter Cody Martin surrendered three straight singles with nobody out plating one run. Two batter later, MLB rehabber Xavier Nady grounded out to shortstop, scoring Erick Fernandez from third and tying the game 2-2.
Martin struggled again in the fourth. All nine nationals would end up coming to the plate. A walk and three more singles scored a run and loaded the bases with one out. Martin induced a shallow fly out to center field to keep the bases load with two outs. Ricky Hague then came to the plate. He popped up a 2-2 pitch up the first base line. First baseman Matt Weaver lost the ball in the sun and the ball dropped a few feet in front of him foul. Two pitches later, Hague cleared the bases with a three-run triple. It was 6-2 Potomac.
The Hilllcats waged their own comeback over the next two frames. Schlehuber singled in Ahmed in the fifth. Then in the sixth, a two-out error by Hague at shortstop allowed Bobby Stevens to reach base. The miscue extended what would be a four-run inning. Emerson Landoni and Mycal Jones followed the error with back-to-back singles scoring Stevens. Ahmed came up next and blasted his sixth home run of the season to left. The three-run shot put the Hillcats up 7-6.
Potomac would have the last laugh however, scoring three on the bottom of the sixth with three more single and a sacrifice fly. They added single runs in the seventh and eighth inning to take an 11-7 lead to the ninth.
Schlehuber notched his third triple of the season in the ninth, driving in Ahmed who walked earlier in the inning. The Hillcats stranded Schlehuber at third base and fell 11-8.
LHP Matt Grace (5-9) lasted six innings for the Nationals, despite giving up seven runs, three earned, on eleven hits and earned the win. RHP Ian Marshall (0-3) relieved Martin in the fifth inning and surrendered three runs, two earned in two innings to take the loss.
The Hillcats are now 14-13 in the second half and still in first place.
Lynchburg continues their road trip tomorrow night in Zebulon, North Carolina against the Carolina Mudcats. First pitch is at 7:15pm. RHP Michael Lee (0-0, 0.00) will make his first start for the Hillcats against RHP Danny Salazar (0-2, 3.32) of the Mudcats. The Hillcats On-Deck Show powered by Honda/Suzuki of Lynchburg will go on the air at 6:50pm. Listen live to all the action on 105.5 FM KD Country and online at lynchburg-hillcats.com.
Carolina League Stories from July 19, 2012
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- Dash Overwhelm Mudcats, Finish Road Trip 5-3 - Winston-Salem Dash
- Capacity Crowd Witnesses Hendricks' Near No-No - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Jayson Werth Expected to Start Rehab Assignment with P-Nats Tomorrow - Potomac Nationals
- Keys Doused by Salem 11-1 - Frederick Keys
- Blue Rocks Game Notes - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Hillcats Fall 11-8 in See-Saw Slugfest - Hill City Howlers
- Sox Win Third Straight, Pound Keys 11-1 - Salem RidgeYaks
- Nationals Win Slugfest over Hillcats in Series Finale - Potomac Nationals
- OF Ross Wilson on DL - Winston-Salem Dash
- Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Hill City Howlers
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