Lynchburg continues winning ways, reduces magic number

The Lynchburg Hillcats dropped their magic number to at most four games with a 4-2 win over the Frederick Keys Sunday night at Calvin Falwell Field.  The Hillcats have taken the first two games of this four-game series.  Kyle Kubitza drove in a pair of runs on two singles and Trent Moses had a pair of doubles to drive in a run and score once as well.  Jarett Miller matched the team high with his ninth win of the season.

For the second straight night the Hillcats (31-30, 67-63) got on the board in the first inning.  Matt Weaver singled and stole second to lead off the frame before Kubitza singled him home for a 1-0 lead.  Kubitza drove in Levi Hyams with a two-out single in the third to make it 2-0 ‘Cats.

Then in the fourth inning the Hillcats used three hits to plate two runs.  Elmer Reyes singled then scored on a Moses double, who then came around on a double by Emerson Landoni.  It was 4-0 Hillcats after four innings.

The Keys (33-38, 57-73) got back in it when they finally got to Miller in the sixth.  Travis Adair and Glynn Davis led off the inning with singles to put runners at the corners for Michael Mosby who was robbed of extra bases by a leaping LF Josh Elander who held onto to the ball despite slamming into the outfield wall.  Adair was able to tag and score on the play to get the Keys on the board.  Jason Esposito followed up with a single to plate Davis and Jarett Miller’s night was done.  Ryan Weber came on and got through the rest of the inning scoreless.  Miller (9-8) went 5.1 innings allowing two runs on seven hits and three walks while fanning three.

Zach Davies (7-8) took the loss for Frederick in a six inning effort.  He allowed four runs on eight hits with three strikeouts.  John Cornely converted his eleventh save of the year with a scoreless ninth. It was Cornely’s ninth consecutive outing resulting in either a save or a win.

The Hillcats look to guarantee a series victory in game three of the four-game set Monday at 7:05pm.  Gates open at 6pm and it will be the final $1 menu item night of the season.  Select concessions items like hamburgers and pizza slices will be available for just $1, courtesy of ABC 13.  Williams Perez (6-1, 2.55) gets the ball for Lynchburg against knuckle-baller Zach Clark (0-6, 11.27) for the Keys. Erik Wilson and Jake Levy have the radio broadcast starting with the Hillcats On-Deck Show, powered by Honda/Suzuki of Lynchburg, at 6:40pm on 97.9 FM The Planet and lynchburg-hillcats.com