The Lynchburg Hillcats scored eight unanswered runs Tuesday night, to take a rain-shortened eight-inning contest from the Salem Red Sox, 8-1.
While only three of the Hillcats (50-55, 21-17) runs were scored on hits, they took advantage of six walks, two hit batters, a pair of errors, and four Salem (50-56, 18-20) wild pitches to take the opening game of the three-game series.
The Red Sox struck first just two batters into the game. Tyler Hill led off the game with a single, stole second, and came into score on a Brett Netzer RBI single to give Salem a 1-0 lead.
The Hillcats were quick to answer, loading the bases with no outs in the first inning. Mitch Longo singled and came into score on a wild pitch. and Gavin Collins was hit by a pitch and scored on a Jodd Carter RBI groundout. Trenton Brooks then reached on a bunt single and came across on a Dillon Persinger base hit to make it 3-1 Lynchburg.
Zach Plesac (Win, 8-4) settled in after the first inning. He finished the night tossing 6.2 innings giving up just one run on six hits, struck out five, and didn’t walk a batter. Plesac retired ten of the final 11 batters he faced.
Salem starter Kevin McAvoy (Loss, 0-2) gave up five runs (four earned), on three hits over five innings. He walked two and struck out four.
Meanwhile the offense continued to tack on runs for Lynchburg. Li-Jen Chu was hit by a pitch to lead off the fourth inning, and came into score two batters later on a Persinger RBI groundout to push the lead to 4-1.
Lynchburg also added a run in both the fifth and seventh innings on RBI groundouts, and then plated a pair of runs in the eighth on a Longo two-run single, which stretched the Hillcats advantage to 8-1.
After working a scoreless eighth inning, Nick Pasquale came back out for the ninth, but during the first at-bat in the final frame, the rain, which was off and on throughout the night, reached a new height, and the umpires called for the tarp. After a 30-minute delay, it was deemed a completed ballgame.
The series continues Wednesday night at City Stadium with a 6:30 p.m. tilt. Left-hander Sam Hentges (5-6, 3.41) takes the mound for Lynchburg and will be opposed by righty Jake Thompson (4-10, 4.76) for Salem.
It will be Winning Wednesday at City Stadium, where all fans in attendance will receive a ticket to the next Wednesday home game, August 21, against the Potomac Nationals.
Max Gun and Matt Present will be on the air with the Hillcats pregame show beginning at 6:20 p.m. on TuneIn Radio and Radio434.
For tickets and more information visit lynchburg-hillcats.com, the City Stadium box office, or call 434-528-1144.
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Chris Graham
