The Hillcats managed just three hits against the Blue Rocks Friday night as they were shut out for the sixth time this season. The ‘Cats lost 3-0, falling for the fourth consecutive night. The Hillcats are below .500 at 4-5 in the second half now, after never dropping below .500 in the entire first half.
LHP Dimasther Delgado was the more dominant starter tonight for Lynchburg but late runs gave him the loss. He sat down the first seven batters he faced. He gave up one hit in the third inning and hit a batter but stranded both runners. He then threw a perfect fourth and only a two-out error kept him from throwing a perfect fifth. He stranded the error by popping up the next batter.
His counter-part, RHP Chase Boruff, pitched the first four innings for Wilmington. He didn’t throw a single perfect frame but did not allow any runs either. In total, he hit two batters, walked one and gave up two singles, while striking out one.
The first run of the game came in the bottom of the sixth. Whit Merrifield tripled to start the inning. The infield came in, and Delgado struck out Angel Franco. Then, Cheslor Cuthbert smashed a groundball through the left side of the infield to play Merrifield. It was 1-0 Blue Rocks.
Delgado came back in the seventh and retired the first two batters. A two-out single extended the inning for Juan Graterol. He grounded to the third baseman Edward Salcedo who let the ball go off his back hand for his 22nd error of the season. With runners at first and second, a wild pitch moved both runners to scoring position. Luis Piterson drove in both runs with a singled to centerfield. Wilmington led 3-0.
RHP Ryne Harper relieved Delgado after the two-run single. Delgado (5-3) gave up three runs, one earned, on five hits in six and two-thirds innings. He walked none and struck out four. Harper struck out his only batter in the seventh and retired three in a row in the eighth to keep it 3-0 heading to the ninth.
The Blue Rocks relieved Boruff with RHP Edwin Carl in the fifth inning and he was still on the mound in the ninth. Carl (1-0) was electric. He struck out eight in five scoreless frames, allowing just one hit on his way to his first win.
The ‘Cats have now lost four in a row and are 4-5 in the second half.
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