Walk-Off Moves Lynchburg One Win from Title
CarL Lynchburg Hillcats

Walk-Off Moves Lynchburg One Win from Title

Published on September 15, 2025 under Carolina League (CarL)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release


Lynchburg moved one win away from the Carolina League crown with a 6-5 extra-innings (10) walk-off victory over the Columbia Fireflies in game one of the Carolina League Championship series.

Despite leading from the first inning on, Lynchburg blew it with two outs in the ninth, leading to extra innings. Despite a slow start to the postseason, Aaron Walton delivered a blast to deep center which dropped for the walk-off double.

The Hillcats struck first in the first inning courtesy of Dean Curley. His RBI double in the left-center gap scored Riley Nelson and put the 'Cats in front.

Lynchburg would strike for another run in the third inning. After Dauri Fernandez led off the inning with an infield single, he found himself on third a few batters later. Nelson drove him home on a sacrifice fly to center, giving Lynchburg the 2-0 lead.

Back-to-back doubles in the fourth plated another for the Hillcats. Walton drove home Cannon Peebles with a sharply hit hustle-double to left field.

Columbia scratched across a run in the top of the fifth after a messy inning for Lynchburg. Tyriq Kemp lined a single to left, plating Yandel Ricardo for their first run of the game, pushing the score to 3-1.

The Fireflies struck again in the top of the sixth after loading the bases. Jervis Alfaro plunked Hyungchan Um in the spine, cutting the deficit to one.

Things swung back in favor of Lynchburg in the bottom of the second inning. Two straight base runners to open the inning set the table for Curley. He roped a single to center, scoring two, and putting Lynchburg in front, 5-2.

Heading to the eighth, the game felt comfortably in the hands of Lynchburg. However, an error from Nolan Schubert in right field with two runners on allowed both to score, making it a one run game. With the tying run on third, the Fireflies lined into a double play, keeping Lynchburg in front by one.

The ninth inning brought the tying run to third for the second straight inning. This time, Cam Schuelke sailed a fastball high and wide as it tipped off the catcher's glove and all-the-way to the backstop, tying the game at five.

The two teams would head to extra innings. Columbia started the inning with a ghost-runner on second, who was immediately picked off by Will McCauseland who just entered the ballgame. Once again, the Fireflies left a runner stranded at third at the end of the inning.

In the bottom of the 10th, with one out in the inning, Aaron Walton carried a ball deep to center field. With the outfield playing in, it landed beyond the diving attempt of Asbel Gonzalez, driving home the game-winning run for Lynchburg's ninth walk-off win of the season.

Lynchburg heads to Columbia for game two on Tuesday evening at Segra Park. First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m.

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Carolina League Stories from September 15, 2025


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