CarL1 Lynchburg Hillcats

Two Home Runs Power Opening Day Victory

Published on April 6, 2012 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release


Lynchburg, VA - The Lynchburg Hillcats' season kicked-off in front of a raucous 4,660 fans tonight at Lynchburg City Stadium. The Hillcats started their three-game home opener against the Potomac Nationals with a 9-3 win. Leading the way for Lynchburg were catcher Braeden Schlehuber and second baseman Tommy La Stella who each had three RBI.

A pair of new faces were slated to take the rubber for both teams. Righty Gus Schlosser got the opening day nod for the 'Cats. His counterpart was RHP Kyle Winters for Potomac.

The Hillcats were led early by shortstop Nick Ahmed, who hit a one-out double down the left field line in the first inning. After a tough at-bat, La Stella was able to push Ahmed across the plate with a single that he fisted into right field.

Schlosser cruised early in the game, not allowing a hit until the fourth inning.

Winters' struggles seemed to be behind him with three strikeouts in the first two innings until Braeden Schlehuber crushed a fastball over the left field wall in the bottom ofthe third for the first home run of the Hillcats' season.

The Nats battled back with a manufactured run in the fourth, thanks to a sac fly off the bat of catcher David Freitas. However, the 'Cats answered back with three runs in the fifth, two off the bat of Robby Hefflinger's blast over the left field wall and heads up base running from Ahmed on a wild pitch.

The Nats put another run on the board in the top of the seventh, but the Hillcats responded with two of their own thanks to La Stella's second single, and RBI number two and three on the day. The eighth inning saw the bottom of the line-up continue to produce with a double by Hefflinger and a two RBI double by Schlehuber who hit eighth and ninth in the opener.

A late home run gave the Nationals some life, but right-handed reliever Andrew Wilson was able to nail down the Hillcats first win of the season retiring three of the four batters he faced.

Schlosser (1-0) earned the win going a career-long eight innings, giving up two runs on six hits. Winters (0-1) suffered the loss for Potomac. He went five innings and gave up five runs on six hits. The Hilcats are now 1-0, while the Nationals drop to 0-1.

Game two is scheduled for 6:05 pm Saturday night. The first 1,000 fans get a magnet schedule presented by Charlie's Chicken and WYYD. LHP Ronan Pacheco (0-0) will start for the Hillcats against LHP Bobby Hansen (0-0) for Potomac.

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Carolina League Stories from April 6, 2012


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