The Lynchburg Hillcats led from the third inning until the ninth Wednesday night, but eventually fell 2-1 in 14 frames. The game took four hours and 30 minutes. It took 438 pitches, thrown by 13 different pitchers to find a winner. Potomac outfielder Michael Taylor was the hero with a two-out RBI-single in the bottom of the 14th, driving home Mike Gilmartin from third base. Prior to that hit, the Nationals were 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position. Hillcats starter Greg Ross threw six scoreless innings and struck out a career-high 10, but took a no-decision.
Emerson Landoni drove in the first run of the game in the third inning. With two outs and Cory Brownsten at second base, he slapped a soft liner into right field. Brownsten scored and it was 1-0 Hillcats. The one run lead looked like enough as Ross was dealing for the Hillcats.
Ross was perfect through the first three innings. He then walked the first batter in the fourth to break up the perfect game. The next man singled to end the no-no. Ross maintained the shutout though. He hit another batter but struck two in a row with the bases loaded to get out of the jam. Ross stranded single runners in the fifth and sixth innings while striking out a pair in both frames. He finished the night allowing just two hits, walking one, hitting two, and striking out 10.
The bullpen took over starting in the seventh. Brandon Cunniff pitched the seventh scoreless, and got the first two out of the eighth. John Cornely then came in to get the final out of the inning. He struck out Taylor with a runner at second base and two outs. Still up 1-0, Cornely came back out for the ninth. He walked the first man, catcher Adrian Nieto. Will Piwinica-Worms entered to pinch-run for Nieto. Cornely struck out Kevin Keyes and induced a pop-up to first base off the bat of Brandon Miller. Randolph Oduber then doubled to right-center field, and Piwinica-Worms scored all the way from first base to tie the game. The game went to extras tied 1-1.
Both offenses continued to struggle going scoreless until the 14th. The HIllcats loaded the bases in the 13th inning but failed to score. Meanwhile, the Nationals stranded a pair of runners in both the 12th and 13th innings. Finally, in the 14th inning Taylor delivered the walk-off RBI.
Robert Fish started the 14th frame in relief for Lynchburg. He hit a batter and gave up a single. Cutter Dykstra then put down a sacrifice bunt pushing runners to second and third with one out. Wilson Rivera was called upon out of the bullpen, the seventh pitcher of the night for the Hillcats. He induced a pop-out to right field from Adrian Sanchez before Taylor singled to left field to end the game.
Fish (0-1) took the loss, while Brian Dupra (1-0) earned the win for Potomac. Dupra tossed two scoreless innings of relief in the 13th and 14th.
Game two of the series will be played tomorrow night at 7:05pm at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge, VA. LHP Ryan Hinson (4-4, 2.48) will start for the Hillcats against RHP Blake Schwartz (11-4, 2.65) for Potomac. If the Hillcats lose, they will be eliminated from the playoffs. The live radio broadcast will go on the air at 6:40pm beginning with the Hillcats On-Deck Show powered by Honda/Suzuki of Lynchburg. Erik Wilson will have the call on 97.9 FM The Planet and online at lynchburg-hillcats.com
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Chris Graham
