The Lynchburg Hillcats never led until David Rohm lined home a walk off winner for a 6-5 victory over the Wilmington Blue Rocks Friday night at City Stadium. Trent Moses and Josh Elander both homered in the win. Rohm drove in two runs; the first Hillcats run and the walk-off winner. The Hillcats bullpen combination of Brandon Cunniff and Nate Hyatt pitched 2.2 scoreless innings.
The Hillcats (23-27, 59-60) got an extra out in the ninth inning and took full advantage. After a leadoff walk, Ali Williams struck out three straight batters but the third one, Kyle Kubitza, got on base when strike three was a wild pitch that kicked back to the screen, putting runners at first and third. Rohm stepped up and drove a liner into left field to plate Chase Anselment and give the Hillcats the win.
The Hillcats and Blue Rocks (23-30, 56-67) traded runs in the first inning. Justin Trapp hit a two-out solo home run in the top half of the inning and Lyncburg responded with a Daniel Castro triple and sacrifice fly by David Rohm.
After the Blue Rocks added two more runs in the second to regain the lead, the Hillcats chipped back over the next two frames. Castro delivered an RBI groundout in the third after Matt Lipka led off the inning with the triple. Then Elander led off the fourth with a solo blast, his second of the season, to tie the game at 3-3.
Again the Blue Rocks took a two run lead with runs in the fifth and sixth but Moses erased the deficit with his second homer of the year; a two-run shot over the left-center field wall.
Williams Perez went 6.1 innings in his start for Lynchburg giving up five runs, three earned, on eight hits with three walks and a strikeout. He left in a 5-5 and for the first time through seven starts for Lynchburg he did not get a decision. It was also the first time he left in the middle of the frame
Hyatt (2-3) loaded the bases in the top of the ninth but was able to freeze Parker Morin with a breaking ball for a strikeout to end the inning. The Blue Rocks stranded eleven runners on base, including eight in scoring position, in the loss. Ali Williams (0-1) was the lone reliever used by the Blue Rocks and suffered the loss.
That wraps up the 2013 regular season matchup between the ‘Cats and Rocks. Lynchburg took the final series 2-games-to-1 but still lose the overall series 11-9.
The Hillcats remain in the top spot of the wild card race as they head on the road for nine games in seven days away from City Stadium. They begin on Saturday with a pseudo doubleheader against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. They begin with the continuation of a suspended game with the ‘Cats trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the third. Ryan Weber (6-4, 3.44) will start the suspended game with the Pelicans starter TBD. Ryan Hinson (2-2, 2.13) gets the start in seven-inning game two against Nick McBride (0-2, 1.95) for Myrtle Beach. Game one starts at 6:05pm and you can join Erik Wilson and Jake Levy for the broadcast of both games starting at 5:55pm on 97.9 FM The Planet and lynchburg-hillcats.com
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