Lynchburg used a trio of three-run innings to power past the Wilmington Blue Rocks with a 9-3 victory on Friday night at City Stadium. D.J. Brown picked up his 11th win of the season in a relief effort.
DEBUT PERFORMANCE
Jayson Aquino made his Hillcats debut with a start against Wilmington and he put on a display. After allowing a run in the first inning off a RBI single by Robert Pehl, Aquino allowed just two more baserunners who each reached on an error. Aquinopitched four innings and allowed just one run on two hits while striking out six batters.
GETTING DIALED IN
It took the Hillcats one time through the order to get dialed in against Jake Junis, but once the bats got hot they never cooled off. In the bottom of the fourth, Clint Frazier reached on a walk and Nellie Rodriguez singled with two outs in the inning. The pair were driven home by Dorssys Paulino on a two-RBI triple to give the Hillcats a 2-0 lead. Paulino scored on a wild pitch by Junis to extend the lead to three.
ADDING TO THE TOTALS
LeVon Washington led off the sixth with a triple and stood there as Paul Hendrix struck out and Clint Frazier lined out to second before Nellie Rodriguez reached on a walk to give the Hillcats runners at the corners with two outs. Paulino added to his RBI totals with a base hit that scored Washington to give the Hillcats a 4-1 lead.
The scoring didn’t stop as Mike Papi doubled to drive home Rodriguez from first base to extend the lead to four runs.
Sicnarf Loopstok was hit by a pitch in the shoulder to load the bases and Claudio Bautista reached on a walk to score Paulinoto put the Hillcats up 6-1.
THINGS HAPPEN IN THREES
Lynchburg plated three more runs in the bottom of the seventh. Washington tripled to lead off the inning once again and was brought home on a RBI single by Nellie Rodriguez to extend the lead to 7-1.
Paulino walked and Papi was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Loopstok, who roped a two-RBI single that gave the Hillcats an eight-run advantage, 9-1.
AUDIO: Loopstok two-RBI single
OH THANK HEAVEN FOR NUMBER 11
D.J. Brown entered the game in the fifth inning with a 3-1 lead and went on to pitch five full innings for the Hillcats to earn his 11th win of the year. Brown allowed just two runs, both in the top of the eighth inning, on four hits while walking one batter and striking out four. The win ties Brown for the most in the Carolina League with Winston-Salem’s Matt Heidenreich.
KEEPING UP WITH THE CATS
Dorssys Paulino recorded three RBIs in the win over the Blue Rocks…In 22 games with the Hillcats, Paulino has notched 17 RBIs…LeVon Washington went 2-for-5 at the plate with a pair of triples…He has recorded a multi-hit game in four of his last six contests…The loss for Wilmington marks their 12th straight…The streak ties them for seventh longest all-time in the Carolina League.
UP NEXT
Lynchburg will look to win its fifth straight series with a victory over the Wilmington Blue Rocks on Saturday night at 6:30 p.m.Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. It will be a fireworks night at City Stadium presented by Courtyard by Marriott, CVFCU and LMEFCU. Fans can tune in to the action on ESPN Virginia 93.3 FM and 1320 AM as well as www.lynchburg-hillcats.com beginning at 6:10 p.m. for the Hillcats On-Deck Show.
– Source: Lynchburg Hillcats
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Chris Graham
