Lynchburg Staves off RiverDogs Comeback Effort

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CarL Charleston RiverDogs

Lynchburg Staves off RiverDogs Comeback Effort

June 27, 2025 - Carolina League (CarL)
Charleston RiverDogs News Release


Charleston RiverDogs third baseman Jose Monzon
Charleston RiverDogs third baseman Jose Monzon
(Charleston RiverDogs)

Charleston, SC - A late-game RiverDogs' comeback attempt fell short, as Lynchburg defeated Charleston for a second consecutive night, 8-5 in front of 4,648 fans on Friday night at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.

The loss puts Lynchburg ahead three games to one in the series and drops the RiverDogs to 4-3 in the second half.

Jeremy Pilon started the game for the RiverDogs - their first lefty to start a game this season - and opened with a 1-2-3 first.

Angel Mateo stayed hot at the dish and put the RiverDogs on the board in the bottom of the first.

After Connor Hujsak and Nathan Flewelling walked, Mateo dribbled a ground ball past the mound and into center to score Hujsak from second base. He leads the Carolina League in RBIs with 51.

With two outs in the frame, Woo Shin lofted a fly ball that looked routine, but Hillcats outfielders let it drop between them. That miscommunication allowed Mateo to score, pushing the advantage to 2-0 early.

The RiverDogs' lead was temporary, as the Hillcats pulled ahead over the next two innings.

In the second, a leadoff triple by Ryan Cesarini set up a fielder's choice that allowed him to slide across the plate to cut the RiverDog lead in half.

In the third inning, the Hillcats jumped ahead with two outs, as a Jeffrey Mercedes single set up a Luis Merejo no-doubt homer that left The Joe in a hurry to put the Hillcats up 3-2. It was Merejo's tenth jack of the year.

Pilon got out of the inning and was removed after three innings. He posted 4 strikeouts in his 2025 Single-A debut, allowing four hits and three earned runs to go with one walk.

Engert Garcia entered the contest and only remained for 0.2 innings, as Lynchburg continued to pile onto their lead in the fourth.

Robert Lopez singled and Jose Pirela walked to set up a sacrifice fly to earn another run.

After Welbyn Francisca worked a walk, Garcia was pulled and replaced by Jacob Kmatz. His first pitch was smoked by Mercedes, whose line drive double to right field scored Pirela and Francisca to make it 6-2 Hillcats.

Lynchburg starter Rafe Schlesinger ended his night after five strong innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits, as he struck out four and walked three.

Kmatz kept Lynchburg's lineup in check and finished his outing with 3.1 scoreless frames.

The RiverDogs got back on the board in the seventh inning for the first time since the first, putting up a 3-run rally.

Back-to-back singles from Ricardo Gonzalez and Larry Martinez opened the action, and Jose Monzon hit a ground ball single to right field to score Gonzalez. A groundout moved both runners to scoring position, and Hujsak delivered with a ground ball that split the four hole and brought in two more Charleston runs, cutting the deficit to 6-5.

The Hillcats responded in the eighth with a rally of their own to put the game away.

Following a leadoff walk by Jose Pirela, Alberto Mendez lined an RBI triple to right, pushing the lead back to two. Welbyn Francisca brought in Mendez on a sacrifice fly to make it 8-5.

The final six RiverDogs batters were retired to quietly end the game.

Ballpark Fun: Nearly all of the fans who attended tonight's game stuck around to witness Fireworks Friday presented by Rev Federal Credit Union. Fans were happy to sing along to some of the ballpark favorites throughout the night, such as Sweet Caroline. The highlight of the in-game promotions was a messy Dairy Queen-sponsored game where both participants took turns throwing ice cream at each other.

The RiverDogs attempt to keep a series split in play tomorrow night, with first pitch set for 6:05 pm.

The RiverDogs will celebrate Carolina Day with Revolutionary War reenactors from SC250 throughout the ballpark, cannon firings and a postgame drone show. Tickets are available online at RiverDogs.com. For an upgraded experience, fans can purchase tickets to the inclusive, air-conditioned Segra Club.

Check out the Charleston RiverDogs Statistics




Images from this story

Charleston RiverDogs third baseman Jose Monzon
Charleston RiverDogs third baseman Jose Monzon
   



Carolina League Stories from June 27, 2025


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