The Lynchburg HIllcats were shut down by Royals’ top prospect Kyle Zimmer in game one on their way to a 6-1 loss to the Wilmington Blue Rocks, but bounced back to rack up 13 hits in the nightcap and win 7-1. David Rohm led the offense in game two with a 4-for-4 effort. He drove in one and scored twice. It was his second four-hit game of the season. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the ‘Cats.
Zimmer was on point in game one for the Blue Rocks (14-8, 47-45). He sat down the side in order in the first inning, striking out two. He went on to strikeout 10 Hillcats (5-14, 41-47) in five innings, and didn’t allow a run until his final frame. Elmer Reyes delivered a two-out RBI-single to score Kyle Kubitza.
The Blue Rocks had struck first offensively, however. Parker Morin doubled home Lane Adams in the second inning, and then scored on an RBI-single for Tyler Chism. Wilmington added two more in the fourth inning. Jared Schlehuber single in Dennis Raben. An errant throw trying to cut a runner off at second base eventually let Schlehuber score in the inning. The Blue Rocks took a 4-0 going to the fifth.
After the Hillcats broke up the shutout, Wilmington came back with another pair of runs. Jorge Bonifacio and Raben delivered the run-scoring knocks, as five different Blue Rocks collected the five RBI in game one.
Hillcats starter Greg Ross ended going to the distance. He allowed six runs, five earned, in six innings. Cody Fassold pitched in relief for the Wilmington behind Zimmer (4-8). He tossed the final two innings scoreless, striking out three and walking one. Ross (5-4) took the loss for the Hillcats.
The tables turned in the second game. Jarett Miller struggled out the gate but minimized the damage leaving the window open for the offense to run away with a one-sided victory. The Blue Rocks scored in the first inning, three batters into the game. Justin Trapp led off with a double, and two batters later, Bonifacio singled him home. Miller (7-5), wouldn’t allow another run despite loading the bases in the second and sixth innings, and hitting two batters in the third. At on point, he sat down eight in a row from the final out of the third to the first out of the sixth.
Meanwhile, the Lynchburg offense tied the game in the third inning. Trent Moses drove in Matt Lipka with a two-out single. Another two-out score crossed the plate for the Hillcats in the fourth. Matt Weaver singled home Rohm. Padding their lead i the fifth inning, Josh Elander hit his first home run as a Hillcat, a solo shot. He was followed by a double from Moses, and Rohm collected his only RBI with a single two batters later.
Rohm went 4-for-4, recording his second four-hit game of the season. His first came way back on April 6, the second game of the season, when he went 4-for-5 in Woodbridge,VA playing the Potomac Nationals.
The Hillcats added single runs in the sixth and seventh innings as they split the doubleheader.
Miller earned the win for the ‘Cats completing 5.2 innings, allowing one run on four hits. He walked four, hit two, and struck out four batters.
The series finale is set for tomorrow night at 7:05pm at Frawley Stadium. RHP Williams Perez (0-0, -) will make his first start for the Hillcats since getting called up from Low-A Rome last week. Countering Perez will be LHP John Lamb (4-7, 5.55) for the Blue Rocks. The Hillcats On-Deck Show powered by Honda/Suzuki of Lynchburg will go on the air at 6:40pm. Listen live to Erik Wilson with the call on 97.9 FM The Planet and online at lynchburg-hillcats.com
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