CarL1 Frederick Keys

Keys Lose To Hillcats In 11

Published on May 18, 2009 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Frederick Keys News Release


Three Frederick Keys errors led to seven unearned runs tonight, as the Lynchburg Hillcats stole the opener of a four-game series in 11 innings, 13-9.

The Keys had LHP Nate Nery on the bump. The Hillcats got an early run off of him. With two men down in the top of the first, 3B Pedro Alvarez and 1B Matt Hague hit back-to-back doubles, to put the Hillcats on the scoreboard.

Lynchburg tacked on another run in the third. With two men down, SS Jordy Mercer skied a pitch to right field. RF Billy Rowell dropped the ball, allowing Mercer to get all the way around to third. Alvarez knocked him in with an RBI-single, to give the Hillcats a 2-0 lead.

Frederick took the lead, however, in the third. C Caleb Joseph and SS Pedro Florimon hit back-to-back doubles to pull the Keys to within one. A batter later, 2B Bobby Stevens walked, putting two men on with two men down. 3B Tyler Henson drilled an opposite field two-run homer to put the Keys atop, 4-2.

The Hillcats tied it in the fourth. Once again with two men down, LF Jared Keel popped a ball up, just off the infield dirt on the right side. Stevens dropped the ball. Keel got all the way around to second. The error extended the inning for the Hillcats. The next batter, DH Ray Chang knocked in Keel with an RBI-single. Then, CF Alex Presley hit an RBI-triple to tie the game at four.

It didn't last for long. RF Billy Rowell led off the fourth with a solo homerun, his fifth of the season, to make it 5-4.

The Keys scored two more times in the fifth. With two men on, 1B Brandon Waring drilled a two-run double off the right-center field wall, making it 7-4.

The Hillcats, however, wouldn't go away. They would score a run in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. Frederick also scored a run in the seventh to hold onto the lead.

The lead would be lost in the ninth. Alvarez led off the inning. RHP Brian Parker got Alvarez to pop a ball foul to the right side. Neither Joseph nor Waring got to the ball. It stayed in-play, but foul. Alvarez made the most of his second-life by drilling a solo homerun to left, tying the game at eight.

The Keys would load the bases with one man down in the bottom of the tenth, but couldn't push a run across.

In the 11th, the Hillcats took the lead for good. Mercer reached on a throwing error by Florimon. He then stole second base. Frederick elected to intentionally walk Alvarez, putting two on for Hague. He came through with an RBI-double to give the Hillcats the lead.

Lynchburg would score four more times in the inning off of Keys' LHP Chris Salberg. The big blow was a three-run homer by Keel.

The Keys got a run in the bottom of the 11th to make it a 13-9 final. RHP Mike Colla got the win. He tossed two shutout innings, improving his record to 3-0. Salberg took the loss allowing all five runs to come across in the ninth (only one earned, however). He's now 1-3.

The two clubs will meet in the second contest of a four-game series tomorrow evening at Harry Grove Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00. For ticket info, contact our box office at 1-877-8-GO-KEYS.

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Carolina League Stories from May 18, 2009


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