For the second straight game, the Hillcats scored multiple runs in the first and held on to the lead for the rest of the game, as they beat the Myrtle Beach Pelicans 5-3 Sunday night at City Stadium.
The Hillcats got an early burst of power from Joe Leonard. He came up to the plate in the first inning with Andrelton Simmons on second and Joey Terdoslavich on first and two outs. On an 0-1 count, he hit a shot over the wall in left-center to put the Hillcats up 3-0.
Hillcats starter David Hale faced some trouble in the third inning. The first three batters reached base to load the bases with nobody out. The next batter, Ryan Strausborger hit a sacrifice fly to center field. However, Hale retired the next two batters, and escaped the inning with the Hillcats lead at 3-1.
Lynchburg got the run back in the bottom of the fourth. Terdoslavich led off the inning with a double to right. Joe Leonard flew out to right, and Terdoslavich showed some aggressive base running to tag up and advance to third. The infield drew in, and Christian Bethancourt hit a single over second baseman Santiago Chirino’s head to score Terdoslavich, and the lead was extended to 4-1.
The Pelicans scored another in the seventh. Chirino singled, and two batters later Leury Garcia doubled him home.
It only took an inning for the Hillcats to extend the lead back to three runs. With the bases loaded and one out, Joe Leonard drove in his fourth RBI of the game, singling home Keenan Wiley to make the score 5-2.
Ryan Buchter came out for the ninth inning for the second straight night. He gave up an unearned run, but got out of the inning to earn his seventh save, and give the Hillcats a 5-3 win.
Dimasther Delgado (5-5) picked up the win in relief for Lynchburg. Myrtle Beach starter Wilfredo Boscan (2-5) took the loss.
Lynchburg won back to back games for the first time since June 6 and 7, improving their second half record to 4-6. Myrtle Beach fell to 5-6.
The Hillcats and Pelicans tangle on Independence Day Monday night. Zeke Spruill (5-7) will take the mound for Lynchburg while Justin Grimm (2-1) will pitch for Myrtle Beach. First pitch is at 7:05 pm, and the gates will open a half an hour earlier than usual, at 5:30.
The Hillcats On-Deck Show presented by Honda/Suzuki of Lynchburg will go on the air at 6:40 pm. Tune in to 105.5 KD Country or go to lynchburg-hillcats.com to listen live to all the action.
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