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Lynchburg Hillcats sweep two from Carolina Mudcats

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lynchburg hillcatsThe Lynchburg Hillcats took a pair of games from the Carolina Mudcats on Tuesday night, winning the resumption of the suspended game from last month, 7-6 in 11 innings, and taking the regularly scheduled contest, 4-3.

With the Hillcats (55-57, 26-19) wins over the Mudcats (54-59, 20-23), Lynchburg is now a season-high seven games over the .500 mark in a half.

Resumption of July 23 Game

The Hillcats came all the way back from down 5-0 to beat Carolina, 7-6, in 11 innings.

Tied 6-6 in the bottom of the 11th, Trenton Brooks hit a walk-off RBI single to left field, scoring Jorma Rodriguez, who began the inning at second base. It was the third walk-off win of the season for Lynchburg and second against the Mudcats.

Behind 5-0 in the eighth, Li-Jen Chu hit an RBI single to trim the deficit to 5-1.

In the ninth inning, Lynchburg rallied to tied the game and force extra innings. Austen Wade led off the frame with a walk and moved to second on a ground out. Three batters later with two out, Rodriguez cracked an RBI single to left field, scoring Wade to bring the Hillcats to within 5-2. After Nolan Jones walked, Mitch Longo stepped the plate against new pitcher Luke Barker (Loss, 4-4) and crushed a three-run home run, his seventh of the year, to knot the game at 5-5, sending it to extras.

Despite throwing out Demi Orimoloye at the plate, the Hillcats allowed a run in the tenth. Following a fielder’s choice, Kyle Nelson walked three consecutive hitters while pitching through heavy rain. Nathan Rodriguez worked a free pass with the bases full to give the Mudcats a 6-5 lead.

In the bottom of the tenth, with Lynchburg down to their final out, Anthony Miller grooved a game-tying RBI single to left field to send the game to a 6-6 deadlock.

Micah Miniard (Win, 3-3) took over in the 11th inning, and stranded two base runners with back-to-back strikeouts, putting the Hillcats in position for the walk-off win.

The game picked up with the Mudcats holding a 5-0 lead in the top of the sixth. Carolina scored all five runs in the sixth inning back on July 23. Nick Roscetti led off the frame with a double, and advanced to third when Yoantgel Segovia laid down a bunt that was bobbled by Rodriguez, to put runners at the corners. Devin Hairston followed with an RBI single to give the Mudcats a 1-0 lead. Carolina got another bunt from Dallas Carrol, but Tanner Tully threw the ball down the right field line for a two-base error, scoring Segovia. With runners at second and third, Weston Wilson ripped a two-run single to right field, and advanced to second base on an error by Brooks. With two out, and reliever Jared Robinson in the game, Ryan Aguilar ripped a run scoring single to center, stretching the lead to 5-0.

Prior to the sixth inning, Tully had allowed just two base runners on a hit and an error. He did not record an out in the sixth, going five innings, and allowing five runs (two earned) on four hits, striking out four. Robinson worked four scoreless innings in relief, striking out five. Nelson walked three and gave up an unearned run in 0.2 innings, and Miniard tossed 1.1 innings of scoreless and hitless baseball, while striking out two.

Braden Webb started for Carolina and fired five scoreless innings, striking out five. Daniel Brown went three scoreless innings before running into trouble in his fourth inning of work. He allowed four earned runs and walked three on the night. Barker had two opportunities to nail down the win for the Mudcats in the ninth and 11th innings, but surrendered three runs (two earned) on six hits in two frames.

Lynchburg committed a season-high five errors on the night. In a game that was originally suspended due to rain, the game went into a 25-minute delay prior to the top of the 11th inning as heavy rainfall lingered over Five County Stadium.

Regularly Scheduled Game

Lynchburg used a four-run fourth inning to propel them to a 4-3 win over Carolina.

Down 1-0 entering the fourth, Trenton Brooks and Nolan Jones singled while Dillon Persinger walked to load the bases with nobody out. Gavin Collins lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Brooks to even the score at 1-1. The next hitter, Emmanuel Tapia, blasted a three-run home run to center field, his seventh of the season, to give Lynchburg a 4-1 lead.

Rob Henry connected with an RBI single in the fourth to bring Carolina within two runs at 4-2.

In the fifth, Mario Feliciano and Demi Orimoloye hit back-to-back doubles, with Orimoloye’s two-base hit producing a run. That chased Lynchburg starter Zach Plesac from the game. Luis Jimenez (Win, 1-3) took over on the mound, and quickly induced an inning ending double play to keep the 4-3 in tact.

Jimenez would work four scoreless innings, a season high. He also collected a season-best seven strikeouts. After the potential tying run reached against Jimenez in the ninth, Dalbert Siri (Save, 9) came on to pick up back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.

Plesac went 4.1 innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits, striking out seven.

Alec Bettinger (Loss, 1-3) started for the Mudcats and allowed four earned runs on three hits. Wuilder Rodriguez, Phil Bickford and Alec Kenilvort combined for five scoreless innings in relief.

The Hillcats will go for the sweep against Carolina on Wednesday in the series finale. Left-hander Sam Hentges (5-6, 3.33) will start for Lynchburg, and Carolina will counter with right-hander Victor Diaz (5-7, 4.80). First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Max Gun will be on the air at 6:50 p.m. with the Hillcats pre-game show on TuneIn Radio and the Radio434 App.

Lynchburg returns home on Friday, August 10, against the Down East Wood Ducks. It will Be Margaritaville Night, featuring a live cover band pre-game, as well as $8 beeritas and concession deals. There will also be a t-shirt giveaway to the first 1,000 fans.

For tickets or more information, visit lynchburg-hillcats.com, call 434-528-1144, or visit the City Stadium box office.

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