Castro’s homer in eighth gives Hillcats 4-3 win

Willi Castro’s eighth-inning homer turned a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 victory over the Frederick at City Stadium Friday night. It marked the Hillcats’ ninth win in their final at-bat in the past 25 games.

Lynchburg led 2-0 initially before Frederick came back to take the lead in the sixth. In the first inning, Sam Haggerty led things off with a triple and was later driven in by a Yonathan Mendoza single. In the second, Andrew Calica added one via a solo home run to deep right to make it 2-0. It was Calica’s third homer of the year, all of which have been solo homers to right field.

Frederick responded with a run of its own in the fourth. After a single, stolen base, and an error put Ryan Mountcastle on third. Ademar Rifaela drove him in with a groundout. In the sixth, back-to-back doubles by Ryan Mountcastle and Randolph Gassaway evened the game up at 2-2. Frederick tallied the go-ahead run on a two-out error.

In the bottom of the eighth, Willi Castro came up clutch with a two-out homer that also scored Sicnarf Loopstok, regaining the lead for the Hillcats, 4-3. It represented Castro’s fourth homer of the season and his first batting left-handed. Of his four home runs, one has been a game-tying blast, while the other three have all given Lynchburg the lead.

Shao-Ching Chiang received a no-decision, allowing three runs on seven hits with six strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. Only one of the runs against Chiang was earned. Cristian Alvarado went six innings while holding Lynchburg to two runs on six hits. Dominic DeMasi picked up his second win after going 1 1/3 and allowing just one hit.

The two teams play game three of a four-game series Saturday night at 6 p.m. Lynchburg’s Brock Hartson (2-2 3.46) will start against Frederick’s Keegan Akin (4-4, 5.16). It’s a Sparkling Saturday, so all fans can enjoy postgame fireworks. Fans who can’t attend can listen to the game live at www.lynchburg-hillcats.com.