Hillcats Split with Mudcats
May 1, 2012 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release
Lynchburg, VA- The Lynchburg Hillcats and Carolina Mudcats split a quasi doubleheader each by a score of 5-2. Game one was being completed after fog suspended it in the top of the fifth inning on Monday night. The Mudcats took game one behind solid pitching and timely hitting. The Hillcats evened up the series behind J.R. Graham's--and the Hillcats--first complete game of the season.
Game one started with Caleb Brewer on the mound for Lynchburg facing a 3-0 count to Carolina's cleanup hitter, Jesus Aguilar. The Hillcats were also trailing 4-1 in the game. Brewer threw one ball to Aguilar to start off game one with a walk. Brewer then walked Jake Lowery to put runners at first and second. Then, Carlos Moncrief extended the lead to 5-1 with an RBI single to right. Aguilar scored and Lowery moved to third. However, Brewer was able to work out of the jam thanks to a strikeout and double play.
It seemed like the Hillcats were going to battle back in the bottom of the fifth. Matt Lipka worked a one out walk off Mudcats' lefty J.D. Reichenbach. Nick Ahmed hit a blooper to left that he legged out for a double. Lipka was held at third. Tommy La Stella added his 21st RBI of the season with a sacrifice fly to center field that caught Tyler Holt off-guard. Holt double-clutched and Lipka sped home to make it 5-2. That would end the scoring for both teams.
Dimasther Delgado (0-1) dropped his first start of the season. He surrendered three runs--all earned--on five hits in four innings. He also walked three and fanned four. J.D. Reichenbach (1-0) picked up the win by entering with the lead in the fifth. He pitched two innings, gave up one hit, walked three and struck out one. Only one run was scored on him.
Game two got started in a blaze. After quiet bats in part two of the suspended game, the Hillcats wasted no time. L.V. Ware started the offense off with a single to left, then stole second with Ahmed at the plate. Ahmed walked to put runners at first and second. Tommy La Stella, who is second in the Carolina League in RBI, hit a sharp grounder to the the Mudcats' second baseman Justin Toole. Thanks to a hard slide by Ahmed, the double play wasbroken upand Ware moved to third. Tim Smith added his first RBI of the season with a single between the first and second baseman of the Mudcats. Ware scored, La Stella moved to second. Another run was addedone batter later when Edward Salcedo hit a sharp ground ball to third baseman Tyler Cannon who couldn't handle it. Smith moved to second on the error. Chris Garcia was next at the plate. He didn't waste any time as he ripped a singleback up the middle for his firstRBI of the day to make the score 3-0 in thebottom of the first.
Carolina answered back in the top of the second with a lead offhome run off the bat of Agular. A couple of singles would go to wasteafter Graham settled down to strikeout two of the next three batters.
TheMudcats weren't donecutting into the lead.Thetop of the third got started with a single by Tyler Holt. He then stole second base with Ronny Rodriguez at the plate. Rodriguez was still at the platewhen Graham launched a fastball to the backstop; Holt moved to third on the wild pitch. Rodriguez couldn't convert the opportunity, but Anthony Gallas picked his teammate upwith a deep fly ballto left field. Holt tagged up and scoredon a no-throw from Smith in left.The 3-2 score was as close as the Mudcats could get to the Hillcats.
Lynchburg would add two more runs. One in the fifth after a double by Ahmed and single by La Stella. The run scored by Ahmed was his 21st of the season and the RBI was La Stella's 22nd of the season.
In the seventh and final inning, Salcedo slapped a single to right then stole second and third base. With two outs, Matt Weaver blasted a double that hit the top of the left field wall. Salcedo scored to end the scoring at 5-2.
The final score was 5-2 with J.R. Graham (3-0) tossing his first complete game of the season. His final line wasseveninnings pitched, four hits,one walk and six strikeouts. Brett Brach (0-1) got the loss. Hegave up four runs, three earned, on seven hits to go along with one walk and four strikeouts in five innings of work.
Game three of this four-game set is scheduled for 6:05pm tomorrow at Calvin Falwell Field.Lynchburg will send righty Aaron Northcraft (3-1, 2.74) to the moundto take on lefty Francisco Jimenez (2-1, 4.32).Lynchburg City Stadium will open its gates at 5:00pm. If you can't make it to the ballpark, you can listen live to all the action on 105.5 FM KD Country and online at lynchburg-hillcats.com starting with the Hillcats On-Deck Show coming on the air at 5:40pm with Erik Wilson and Mike Viso.
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