The Lynchburg Hillcats rallied for five runs in the bottom of the sixth for a tie but a bases loaded hit batter in the top of the seventh spoiled the comeback in a 12-11 loss to the Carolina Mudcats in what should have been game one of a doubleheader at City Stadium. The rains came between games and the back end never got started, postponed to Thursday night which will now be a doubleheader starting at 6:05.
The teams combined for 23 runs on 27 hits in a seven-inning contest that lasted nearly three hours. The Hillcats (32-32, 68-65) committed four errors in the loss, including two in the first inning which sparked a six-run top of the first for the Mudcats (32-32, 54-80). The Hillcats never led but continued trading runs with the Mudcats, trailing by as many as seven runs at one point, leaving them down by five runs in the sixth inning of a seven-inning ballgame. After a sacrifice fly Kyle Kubitza clubbed a three-run home run to get within one run and David Rohm tied the game with a solo blast on the very next pitch.
Nate Hyatt (2-4) came on for the seventh and, after the fourth Hillcats error helped things along, eventually hit Logan Vick with a pitch to push across the game-winning run. Louis Head (4-2) gave up the tying run but got the win with the seventh inning rally by Carolina.
With game two postponed, Thursday will be a doubleheader as the Hillcats again look to clinch a Wild Card berth. Their first chance starts at 6:05pm with gates opening at 5pm for Outdoors Night at City Stadium. Jose Lugo (0-1, 4.50) gets the ball in game one against Ryan Merritt (0-0, 1.80) for Carolina. Game two features Greg Ross (9-6, 3.31) for Lynchburg against Nick Pasquale (6-7, 4.03) for the Mudcats. Erik Wilson and Jake Levy will have the radio play-by-play starting at 5:55pm on 97.9 FM The Planet and lynchburg-hillcats.com
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