The Winston-Salem Dash received a dominant performance from right-hander Dylan Cease, as the Lynchburg Hillcats were shut out, 9-0, on Tuesday at BB&T Ballpark.
Cease (Win, 3-1) retired 21 of the 23 batters he faced, as Lynchburg (12-12) dropped their season-high fourth straight in the first game of the three-game set against the Dash (12-13).
Cease gave up a single to Mitch Longo on the very first pitch of the ballgame, but then came back to retire the next 19 batters he faced, racking up 12 strikeouts, and no walks in his seven innings of work.
Longo extended his hitting streak to a league-best 14 consecutive games, and has reached base in all 20 games he has played this season.
The Dash bats provided him ample run support. Mitch Roman doubled with one out in the first inning, and advanced to third on the play, as Conner Capel had some trouble playing the carom in right-center. One batter later, Blake Rutherford followed with a single to right to give the Dash an early 1-0 advantage.
Lynchburg starter Zach Plesac (Loss, 1-2) would bounce back to retire the next seven batters he faced, but would run into trouble in the fourth. Micker Adolfo led off with a double down the left field line and Gavin Sheets followed with an RBI single to right. Zach Remillard then made it three straight hits with a bouncer though the left side. Two batters later, Nate Nolan cashed in, launching a three-run home run to deep left field, making it a 5-0 ballgame.
The Dash would extend their lead an inning later. With one away in the fifth, Rutherford singled through the right side, and Adolfo laced his second double of the night to bring him around to score. Remillard then hit an RBI double two batters later, on a ball that Jodd Carter lost in the lights, pushing the lead to 7-0. Yeyson Yrizarri ripped a single through the right side to extend the lead to 8-0, ending the night for Plesac.
The right-hander finished the night giving up ten hits and eight earned runs over 4.2 innings, walking one, while striking out a season-high six.
Anderson Polanco came on to get a strikeout to end the fifth, but then yielded a first pitch home run to Alex Call to begin the sixth, to give the Dash a 9-0 advantage.
Billy Strode came on to retire the final six outs for the Hillcats, stranding the bases loaded in the seventh, without allowing any additional damage, and picking up a pair of strikeouts.
The Hillcats will look to snap the four-game tomorrow morning for a special 11 a.m. start, for Education Day at BB&T Ballpark. Left-hander Tanner Tully (1-1, 3.63) will get the nod for the Hillcats, opposed by Dash righty Luis Martinez (0-1, 5.19).
Max Gun and Matt Present will be on the air beginning at 10:50 a.m. on TuneIn Radio, and the Radio434 App.
For tickets or more information, visit lynchburg-hillcats.com, call 434-528-1144. or stop by the City Stadium box office.
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Chris Graham
