CarL1 Lynchburg Hillcats

Offensive Outburst Lifts Cats Past Kinston

Published on August 12, 2009 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release


Chase d'Arnaud tallied three hits and a career-high 5 RBI to lift Lynchburg over Kinston 6-5 at City Stadium Wednesday night. The Hillcats victory snapped Kinston's seven-game winning streak and set up a rubber match in the series finale on Thursday. Game time is set for 7:05 p.m.

Kinston grabbed the early lead with a run in the top of the first. Tim Fedroff reached on a one-out infield single and advanced to second base when Lynchburg starter Bryan Morris delivered a wild pitch. Cord Phelps drove in Fedroff with an RBI single that gave the K-Tribe a 1-0 edge.

The K-Tribe extended its lead with a pair of runs in the third. Lucas Montero hit a one-out single and Morris issued consecutive walks to Fedroff and Phelps to load the bases. Ole Sheldon hit a ground ball to third that Josh Harrison fielded and threw to second for the force out, but d'Arnaud's relay throw was low and Sheldon reached safely. The throwing error enabled Fedroff to score in addition to Montero, which extended Kinston's advantage to 3-0.

Lynchburg answered with a run in the bottom of the third. Kinston starter Russell Young gave up three straight singles to d'Arnaud, Harrison and Jordy Mercer to begin the inning. Jamie Romak knocked in d'Arnaud with a sacrifice fly that made it a 3-1 game, but Young got out of the inning with no further damage.

Morris found his rhythm on the mound and held the K-Tribe scoreless through the middle three innings, giving the Cats offense a chance to comeback from the two-run deficit.

When Dave Roberts came on in relief of Young in the bottom of the sixth, the Hillcats seized their opportunity. Jared Keel ripped a one-out double and Roberts issued a walk to Kent Sakamoto. Jose De Los Santos followed with an infield single to load the bases for d'Arnaud, who delivered a three-run double down the left field line that put Lynchburg in front 4-3.

Lynchburg tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth when d'Arnaud belted a two-run home run off Kinston's Dallas Cawiezell that extended the lead to 6-3.

The insurance runs proved valuable as Cats closer R. J. Rodriguez endured a rocky inning in the bottom of the ninth. Ronald Rivas hit a leadoff double to start the inning before Rodriguez retired the next two Kinston batters. Montero drove in Rivas with an RBI single and advanced to second base on defensive indifference with Fedroff at the plate. Montero took third on a wild pitch and scored on Fedroff's RBI single that reduced the deficit to 6-5. Fedroff reached second on Rodriguez' second wild pitch of the inning, but the Lynchburg closer struck out Phelps to end the game.

Rodriguez picked up his Carolina League-leading 25th save, which ties him for second with Melqui Torres on the Hillcats single-season saves list. Torres recorded 25 saves for Lynchburg in 2003. Chicago White Sox reliever D. J. Carrasco holds the Hillcats single-season saves record with 29, a mark he set during Lynchburg's 2002 Carolina League Championship season.

Morris (3-6) allowed six hits, three runs and two earned runs in 6 2/3 innings to earn the victory in his first start since being suspended by Pittsburgh on Aug. 1. Roberts (0-4) took the loss for Kinston. Lynchburg improved to 19-26 in the second half and 64-50 overall with the win. The loss dropped Kinston to 19-26 in the second half and 46-67 overall.

The two teams will meet in a rubber match on Thursday night at City Stadium. RHP Ronald Uviedo (5-4, 3.31) gets the start for Lynchburg while Kinston will counter with RHP Mike McGuire (0-3, 5.67). First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m.

Tune in to FM 105.5 KD Country, 96.9 FM Roanoke or online at www.kdcountry.com or www.lynchburg-hillcats.com for all the live action beginning at 6:40 p.m. Thursday.

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Carolina League Stories from August 12, 2009


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