Eight-run 13th inning sinks Lynchburg Hillcats in 2016 opener

In a game that featured five lead changes and neither team leading by more than a run through the first 12 innings, Winston-Salem plated eight in the 13th to defeat the Hillcats in their season opener at City Stadium Thursday night, 14-6.

Winston-Salem (1-0) only had eight hits through the first 12 innings of play but used a flurry of seven hits and a couple costly errors by the Hillcats to push eight men across home in the 13th and claim a four-hour, 59-minute contest. After tying the game, 6-6, in the top of the ninth, the Dash broke the tie with a two-run throwing error in the top of the 13th. Brett Austin capped off the inning with a three-run homer to right field to stretch the final margin to 14-6.

While the game itself took four hours and 59 minutes, it actually lasted longer than that because of a 25-minute rain delay in the first inning. Before the Hillcats even had a chance to send a batter to the plate in 2016, a passing storm brought rain and hail to City Stadium with the hailstones accumulating on the tarp at Calvin Falwell Field.

 

HILLCATS OFFENSE LOOKS SHARP

Lynchburg’s offense couldn’t score the decisive run in the end, but the Hillcats showed how much potential is at the plate this year. Lynchburg had at least one hit in each of the first nine innings and posted multiple hits in five of those frames. Going into extra innings, Lynchburg had doubled up Winston-Salem in the hits column, 16-8, despite the game being deadlocked at 6-all.

The ‘Cats notched a run in each of the first three stanzas. Greg Allen led off the first with a base hit and eventually scored on aBobby Bradley single to tie the contest, 1-1, after Winston-Salem claimed the initial run when Hunter Jones came home on a passed ball.

After Winston-Salem broke the 1-1 tie in the second with an RBI single by Cleuluis Rondon, Lynchburg answered when Mark Mathias drew a leadoff walk and came around to score. The Hillcats took their first lead of the season on a solo home run byAnthony Santander in the third.

Well-known for their late-inning comebacks at City Stadium, the Hillcats tried to bring some of that magic to Opening Day. Trialing 4-3 entering the seventh, Bradley walked to start the frame. Santander singled, and Bradley scored on a throwing error. Mark Mathias laced a double to left field to drive in Santander and give Lynchburg a 5-4 advantage.

After Winston-Salem tied it in the top of the eighth, Lynchburg again stirred up some late-inning excitement when Greg Allensingled to open the frame and Dorssys Paulino knocked him in with a base hit. The Hillcats held a 6-5 lead at that moment, but Winston-Salem once again tied the game in the next half-inning. This time it forced extras in the first game of the season.

Despite falling short in the end, the Hillcats offense recorded 17 hits in the contest. Allen impressed in the leadoff spot with a 4-for-5 performance that included a walk, hit by pitch, two stolen bases, and two runs scored. He reached base in six of his seven trips to the plate.

Daniel Salters, Ivan Castillo, and Santander all had three-hit games in the loss. For Allen and Salters, their hit totals matched career highs. Lynchburg hit a staggering .315 (17-for-54) in the defeat with a team on-base percentage of .393.

 

SHORT HOPS

Lynchburg left 18 men on base, which came one shy of a Hillcats record…The ‘Cats stranded 19 men against Kinston on June 4, 2007…Before the game, the Hillcats honored former President Paul Sunwall by retiring the No. 35, which represents the number of years Sunwall worked in the front office for the franchise…The two-time Carolina League Executive of the Year now has his name and the No. 35 displayed next to Jim Bibby’s No. 26 in right field at City Stadium as the only two numbers retired by the organization.

 

ON DECK

Lynchburg looks to rebound against the Dash Friday night at 6:30 p.m. Gates open at City Stadium at 5:30 p.m., and the first 1,000 fans will receive a flag giveaway presented by Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham. Returning Hillcat Mitch Brown will start against fellow right-hander Matt Cooper. Fans can tune in to the action on 93.3 FM and 1320 AM as well as www.lynchburg-hillcats.com beginning at 6:15 p.m. for the Hillcats On-Deck Show.