‘Cats escape with 5-4 win

Shawn McGill went 3-for-4 with two doubles and Chris Masters pitched a strong seven innings as the Hillcats beat the Myrtle Beach Pelicans 5-4 in the first game of a four-game series Saturday night at City Stadium.

The Hillcats jumped out in front early in the game. In the first inning, the first three batters all reached base, loading the bases with nobody out. Joey Terdoslavich struck out, but Joe Leonard grounded out to score the first run. Keenan Wiley followed with an infield single that scored another run to make it 2-0 and put runners on the corners with two outs. Shawn McGill doubled off the wall in left-center field and both runners scored to give the Hillcats a 4-0 lead.

The lead was extended in the sixth. McGill doubled to left-center once again to lead off the inning. Barrett Kleinknecht sacrificed him to third. L.V. Ware then dropped down a suicide squeeze bunt successfully and McGill scored to make it 5-0.

Lynchburg starter Chris Masters cruised through the first six innings. He allowed just two hits, and struck out five. However, he ran into trouble starting in the seventh. The leadoff batter in the inning, Jared Prince, hit a solo home run to break the shutout. Then in the eighth, the first three batters all reached base on softly hit singles. Masters (5-3) left the game with the bases loaded and nobody out. Eliecer Cardenas came in and allowed all three inherited runners to score, but escaped the inning with the lead still intact at 5-4.

Ryan Buchter came in for the save in the ninth inning. He gave up two more bloop hits, but got through the inning unscathed for his sixth save of the year.

Miguel De Los Santos (0-1) took the loss in his first start this season for Myrtle Beach.

Lynchburg improved their second half record to 3-6, while Myrtle Beach fell to 5-5.

The series continues Sunday night at City Stadium. Lefty Dimasther Delgado (4-5) will take the mound for the Hillcats, while righty Wilfredo Boscan (2-4) will pitch for the Pelicans. First pitch is at 6:05 pm, and the gates will open at 5.

The Hillcats On-Deck Show presented by Honda/Suzuki of Lynchburg will go on the air at 5:40 pm. Tune in to 105.5 KD Country or go to lynchburg-hillcats.com to listen live to all the action.