The Hillcats dropped both games of a doubleheader with Frederick Friday night by scores of 5-3 and 1-0. It was the “Dylan Bundy Show” in game one, but the true impressive pitching performance was by the veteran Eddie Gamboa in game two. The highlight of the Hillcats’ day was Nick Ahmed’s bomb off Bundy in game one.
It was all Keys early on in the love fest that called it self a Dylan Bundy start. Chris Masters was on the mound for the first time in a Hillcats uniform this season and it didn’t start well for the lefty. Four consecutive by the 2-5 hitters in the Keys’ lineup. The highlight was a two-RBI double by Justin Dallas to give the Keys a 2-0 lead. Michael Flacco would add an RBI groundout to push the lead to 3-0.
Bundy wasn’t his normal majestic self, he faced some struggles early on. Mycal Jones put himself in scoring position with two stolen bases in the first, but would go stranded.
The second inning was where the trouble began for the 19-year-old phenom. A poor route by Bobby Stevens allowed a well hit ball by Edward Salcedo go over his head for extra bases. Braeden Schlehuber would dent Budny’s armor with a double of his own out to right field. Salcedo scored to cut the lead to 3-1.
The third wasn’t much better for Bundy. The inning was highlighted by a 3-2 solo blast off Nick Ahmed’s bat to bring the Hillcats to within one run. Bundy would walk two batters after Ahmed, but got out of the jam by fanning Salcedo.
It was cruise control for both pitchers until the top of the fifth. Masters was victim of his own nasty pitch to start the inning. Michael Rooney struck out, but a wicked curve hit the inside right leg of Schlehuber and skipped away. Rooney made it to first easily. Stevens would walk to put two runners aboard for Jeremy Nowak. Trying to set down a sacrifice bunt, Nowak bunted one back to Masters who was aggressive and threw to third. Rooney was safe and the bases were juiced for the heart of Frederick’s order. Ty Kelly added an insurance run with a sac fly out to left that scored Rooney. The lead was now 4-2 in favor of the Keys.
Frederick added another run to their total in the top of the sixth. Caleb Brewer entered for Masters at the end of fifth and looked posied to shut down the Keys’ hitters. However, after two quick outs, Brewer walked Rooney. Two steals later and Brewer walked Stevens. Then, Nowak would throw a single into the mix to score Rooney and extend the lead to 5-2.
The Hillcats threatened in the bottom of the sixth when Salcedo hit a double in the right-center field gap. Adam Milligan was at first raced around the bases, but was curiously sent by Manager Luis Salazar. Milligan was dead-to-rights at home. Salcedo added to the base running blunders by getting picked at second by pitcher Andy Loomis.
In the seventh, the Hillcats kept it interesting by adding another run. After Schlehuber reached with his second double of the day, Mycal Jones hit a flair single out to right to score Schlehuber. The intrigue ended after Jones was caught in a pickle rounding third after a Rooney error.
Dylan Bundy (2-1) earned another win by going 5.0 innings getting touched for two runs and fanning five and walking three. Chris Masters (0-1) got the loss for his 4.2 innings of work. He allowed six hits and four earned runs. Masters added a walk and three Ks as well.
Game two had the makings of being a mirror image to game one. Blaine Sims made his second start of the season and was hit hard in the top of the first inning. Three hits led to the Keys first run of the game. However, Sims settled down and got out of the inning.
Eddie Gamboa made the spot-start for Frederick in game two and was dealing from the beginning. He didn’t allow a hit until there were two down in the third and it looked to be more of an error than hit, but was officially ruled a hit for Emerson Landoni.
Sims scattered some more hits in his appearance, but another run did not score and the sole threat was in the fifth when two doubles and a single were wasted because of two solid plays in right field by David Rohm. A shallow ball to right had Jeremy Nowak breaking for third, but Rohm charged in, made the play and doubled up Nowak on the Ty Kelly line drive. After a Justin Dalles double, Michael Flacco singled but it was Rohm’s pinpoint throw that kept Dalles at bay. The next batter was retired to end the threat.
Gamboa continued to deal and racked up three of his four strikeouts in his last two innings of work. He never allowed a run in his appearance.
It wasn’t until the bottom of the seventh that the Hillcats offense made any noise. With Clay Schrader on the mound, Tommy La Stella and Chris Garcia worked walks with one out. However, Schrader composed himself, fanned Adam Milligan and Rohm was punched out on an appeal to Lawrence Reeves on the bases.
Eddie Gamboa (1-0) gets the win in the spot start. He went 6.0 innings, allowed just two hits and struck out four. Blaine Sims (0-2) gets the loss in a decent appearance. He scattered nine hits and fanned four in his 5.0 innings of work.
Tomorrow’s double dip is scheduled for a 4:05 pm start time. The stadium gates will open at 3:00pm. Cody Martin (5-5, 3.78) will return after missing a couple starts in game one. Aaron Northcraft (4-4, 4.05) will take the mound in game two for the Hillcats. Scott Copeland (3-4, 5.43) and Tyler Wilson (2-1, 2.14) will be the duo for the Keys. If you can’t make it to the field, tune in and listen live to all the action on 105.5 FM KD Country and online at lynchburg-hillcats.com starting with the Hillcats On-Deck Show coming on the air at 3:50pm with Erik Wilson and Mike Viso.
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