The Lynchburg Hillcats scored four runs in the first and four in the sixth to take Sunday’s rubber match, 9-4, over the Wilmington Blue Rocks. Matt Lipka led off the Hillcats offensive ballgame with a home run and David Rohm had three hits, falling a home run shy of the cycle, in the win. Jarett Miller picked up his third win in as many starts since joining the rotation.
The Hillcats (16-12) had four of their first five batters get hits in their four-run first inning. Lipka led off with a line drive home run over the left field wall. Tommy La Stella followed up with a single to extend his hitting streak to seven games and William Beckwith drove him in with a double. After Robby Hefflinger struck out David Rohm hit an RBI-triple then scored when Justin Trapp’s relay throw skipped past the Blue Rock third baseman into the third base stands, making it 4-0 HIllcats after one.
Wilmington (13-17) didn’t waste any time getting the runs back; they scored four times in the second to tie the game. After a leadoff strike out the Blue Rocks strung together six straight hits. Jack Lopez and Alex Hudak both singled then Kenny Swab hit a high fastball out of the park for his first home run of the season. After two more singles Lane Adams bounced into a fielder’s choice that allowed Chris Elder to score and tie the game, 4-4.
Miller didn’t allow another hit after the second. Miller (3-0) went six innings and gave up four runs on seven hits with a walk and five strikeouts.
The ‘Cats got him the lead in the bottom of the sixth with four more tallies. Rohm off the inning with a shallow pop fly that landed between the second baseman and left fielder. Hustling out of the box, Rohm got to second with a double. Will Skinner followed up with a double down the left field line to trade places with Rohm and put the Hillcats on top.
The next hitter Fernando De Los Santos singled to score Skinner and chase Wilmington’s starter John Lamb from the game. Lamb (2-3) couldn’t get an out in the sixth, allowing seven runs, six earned, on nine hits and a walk while striking out three.
Lipka and La Stella each had RBI hits in the inning off reliever Kellen Moen to make it 8-4. The Hillcats added one in the eighth when Beckwith reached on Trapp’s second error of the game to allow Lipka to score. Lipka went 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and a pair of runs scored.
The bullpen returned to familiar form with three scoreless innings. Matt Chaffee struck out four in two innings and Caleb Brewer shut down the Blue Rocks in the ninth. The Hillcats take the final two games of the series to win the series and finish the home stand 5-2 and stay atop the Carolina League North Division.
The ‘Cats will enjoy an off day tomorrow before starting a three game series on Tuesday in Myrtle Beach, SC. Greg Ross (0-0, -) makes his first start of the season after being called up from Rome, taking on Alec Asher (2-2, 3.58) for the Pelicans. First pitch is 7:05pm and you can join Erik Wilson for all the play-by-play action. The Hillcats On-Deck Show, powered by Honda/Suzuki of Lynchburg, starts at 6:40pm on 97.9 FM The Planet and lynchburg-hillcats.com.
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Chris Graham
