Jodd Carter hit a two-run homer on his 21st birthday, and Sam Haggerty had the first five-hit game by a Hillcat this year to lead Lynchburg to a 10-4 victory in the series opener at Potomac Thursday night.
Lynchburg plated the first two runs of the game in the opening stanza. Haggerty singled to begin the game, and Willi Castro walked. Andrew Calica doubled to drive in the first run, and a Sicnarf Loopstok sacrifice fly tallied the other. Potomac responded with a run in the first and two in the second to take the lead.
Calica evened the score in the third when he singled, advanced to second on a bad pickoff throw, moved to third on a wild pitch, and came home a Gavin Collins RBI groundout. However, the Nationals reclaimed the lead with an Ian Sagdal solo homer in the fifth.
Trailing 4-3, the HIllcats surged ahead in the sixth with four runs on four hits. Martin Cervenka had a two-run double in the frame, and Haggerty added a two-run triple. Collins, Loopstok, Cervenka, and Anthony Miller scored the runs in the sixth.
With a 7-4 lead, Cervenka began the eighth inning with a walk. Carter drilled his 11th home run of the season to give him 35 RBIs for the year. It staked Lynchburg to a 9-4 advantage. The ‘Cats tacked on their final run on a bases-loaded walk to Loopstok. It increased Loopstok’s team-leading RBI total to 46. Carter finished the game 3-5.
Jared Robinson (2-3) earned the victory after going three innings out of the bullpen and holding Potomac to one run on one hit. Justin Garcia tossed the final two frames and struck out two.
Lynchburg faces Potomac again Friday at 7:05 p.m. Triston McKenzie (8-4, 2.89) will start for the Hillcats. Fans can listen to the game live at lynchburg-hillcats.com.
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Chris Graham
