The Hillcats and Indians played a back and forth game in the final game of the first half on Sunday. In the end, the Indians scored a run in the top of the ninth to take the win.
Kinston took an early 3-0 lead on the Hillcats. In the first inning, Delvi Cid scored on a sacrifice fly by Anthony Gallas. It could have been extra bases for Gallas, instead of the sacrifice fly, but LV Ware made a sensational diving catch in deep left-center field to record the out. In the second inning, Tyler Cannon hit a two-run home run.
The Hillcats scored in the bottom of the second. Adam Milligan led off with a triple to right field. The next batter, Joey Terdoslavich, grounded out to second to score Milligan and cut the lead to 3-1.
The Indians took advantage of control problems from Hillcats starter Dimasther Deglado in the third. Delgado walked three straight batters, including the last one with the bases loaded, to allow a run to come across the plate to put Kinston up 4-1.
The Hillcats cut into the lead with the long ball over the next two innings. The leadoff batter in the third, LV Ware, hit a long fly ball that cleared the wall in right. Terdoslavich led off the fourth with a home run of his own, this one to center. It was Terdoslavich’s 12th home run of the season, and made the score 4-3.
Lynchburg finally took the lead in the fifth. Reliever Steve Wright came into the game for Kinston, making his first appearance for the Indians this season. Ware led off the inning with a double. Wiley then singled, moving Ware to third. After that, catcher Doug Pickens started to have trouble handling Wright’s knuckleball. A passed ball allowed Wiley to move to second. Then, after a wild pitch, Ware scored and Wiley advanced to third. Later in the inning, Wright threw his second wild pitch. Wiley raced home, and just slid under the tag of Wright to give the Hillcats a 5-4 lead.
The lead didn’t last long. Hillcats reliever Chris Masters had some control problems of his own in the sixth inning. He walked two batters and hit a batter in the inning Finally, Jeremie Tice hit a single to drive in a run and tie the game at five. On the play, Gallas attempted to advance to third on the throw to the plate, but catcher Shawn McGill threw down to third to catch him in a rundown and end the inning.
Each team scored in the seventh. In the top half of the inning, Pickens singled home a run to allow Kinston to briefly retake the lead. Wiley led off the bottom of the inning with a double, and Andrelton Simmons doubled him home to tie the game 6-6.
The tie lasted until the ninth inning. Adam Abraham led off the top of the inning with a double off of reliever Ryan Buchter. Abner Abreu sacrificed him to third. Cannon lifted a fly to right-center. Ware made the catch and attempted to make the throw home, but it was too late to get Abraham. Cannon ended the day with four RBI.
The Hillcats tried to tie it in the bottom of the inning. Joe Leonard doubled to lead off the inning, but none of the next three Hillcats could drive him in, and the game ended with the Hillcats losing 7-6.
Buchter (1-2) took the loss for the Hillcats, and Steven Wright (1-0) ended up pitching five innings for the win.
The Hillcats end the first half with a 30-40 record. They will now have three days off for the All-Star break before returning Thursday on the road against Wilmington.
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Chris Graham
