For the second straight game, the Lynchburg Hillcats took down the Fredericksburg Nationals in an exciting 4-3 game on Friday night.
The Hillcats (20-26) were carried by a three-run fifth inning capped off by a two-run home run by Joe Donovan off the Nationals (28-17) starting pitcher.
It was a back-and-forth game throughout with the Nationals striking first on a James Wood fielder’s choice in the first to score Jacob Young. The Hillcats would match them in the bottom half of the inning on a solo home run from Isaiah Greene. For Greene, that was his fourth home run of the season.
In the third inning, the Nationals would retake the lead on a fluke play. Reid Johnston would bounce a ball in the dirt that slipped a couple feet past Joe Donovan. While he had his back turned to pick up the ball, Young stole home before Donovan even realized he was running.
Then in the fifth, the Hillcats were able to get the bats going as Dayan Frias led off the inning with a single. Victor Planchart would move him over to third on a line drive to left before Cesar Idrogo brought him home on a sacrifice fly.
The next batter, Joe Donovan, would crush a ball to left field that hooked inside the foul pole for a two-run home run. The shot was his sixth of the season, giving the Hillcats the two-run lead.
Fredericksburg would get a run back in the seventh on a Sammy Infante solo shot, his first hit of the series. However, Miguel Vinicio would slam the door shut in the ninth to give the Hillcats the much-needed victory.
Lynchburg and Fredericksburg will play game five of their series on Saturday night at Bank of the James Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30.
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Chris Graham
