Long ball lifts Lynchburg Hillcats

Anthony Santander’s second home run in as many nights triggered a three-run sixth inning to propel the Lynchburg Hillcats to a 5-4 victory at City Stadium Friday night. Anderson Polanco relieved Mitch Brown in the fifth inning and pitched the final 4 1/3 innings to earn the win in his Advanced-A debut.

For the second consecutive night, Santander belted a solo homer for the Hillcats’ third run of the game. However, this time it began a sequence of four-straight hits that ultimately led to three runs, giving Lynchburg a 5-3 lead by the time the sixth inning ended.

After Santander’s blast down the right field line tied the game at 3-all, Taylor Murphy lined a single to center field, and Mike Papi doubled to plate Murphy. With the Hillcats on top, 4-3, Sicnarf Loopstok singled Papi over to third to set up a sacrifice fly by Claudio Bautista.

Polanco made his Hillcats debut after spending most of the past three years with the Lake County Captains. In 2015, the left-hander started in all 26 of his appearances, but the one-time reliever looked just fine in his return to the bullpen by limiting Winston-Salem to one run on three hits while striking out four in 4 1/3 frames.

Polanco took over for Brown, who went 4 2/3 innings in his first start of 2016. The second-round pick of 2012 struck out eight in that time, surrendering three runs on five hits.

Before Winston-Salem plated two runs in the fifth inning, Lynchburg held a brief lead after two runs in the bottom of the fourth moved the Hillcats in front, 2-1.

Papi initiated the rally with a bases-empty, two-out walk. He advanced to second on a wild pitch to allow Loopstok to drive him in with a base hit up the middle. Bautista smacked a double to right-center field for the first of his two RBIs in the contest. The Hillcats may have plated even more in the frame, except center fielder Hunter Jones threw out Bautista trying to score from second base on a single by Ivan Castillo one batter later.

 

SHORT HOPS

Anthony Santander only hit nine home runs in 147 games during the first three years of his career from 2012 to 2014…In 2015, Santander hit 13 home runs in only 72 contests, and now he has two in his first two games at the Advanced-A level…Lynchburg went 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position after going 4-for-22 on Opening Day.

 

ON DECK

Lynchburg goes for two in a row against the Dash Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. Gates open at City Stadium at 5:30 p.m., and it marks the first Fireworks Night of the season. Luis Lugo will start for the Hillcats against Thad Lowry. Fans can tune in to the action on 93.3 FM and 1320 AM as well as www.lynchburg-hillcats.com beginning at 6:15 p.m. for the Hillcats On-Deck Show.