Lynchburg had the tying run on base two different occasions in trying to complete a six-run comeback but came up short in a 7-4 defeat at TicketReturn.com Field at Myrtle Beach Friday night.
PELICANS STRIKE FAST
Myrtle Beach’s leadoff man Mark Zagunis lined the very first pitch of the game from D.J. Brown over the left-field fence for a home run to give the Pelicans a quick 1-0 advantage. Myrtle Beach added one more in the frame and lead 2-0 after the first. The Pelicans tacked on three more in the third, beginning with another solo homer by Zagunis. The All-Star came in with only three home runs all year but finished the game with a 4-for-4 day at the plate that included a pair of home runs to increase his season total to five.
Following Zagunis’ home run, Pin-Chieh Chen doubled, and Chesny Young knocked him in with an RBI single. Two batters later, Jacob Rogers singled to bring home Young. An RBI single by Zagunis in the fourth inning scored Trey Martin, and the Pelicans claimed a 6-0 lead through four frames.
PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE
Lynchburg answered with three runs in the fifth despite only one hit in the stanza. Mike Papi walked to open the frame, Joe Sever reached on an error, andIvan Castillo walked to load the bases. Luigi Rodriguez blooped a single to shallow left to plate Papi and put the Hillcats on the board.
With the bases still loaded, Nellie Rodriguez was hit by a pitch, and Eric Haase walked to bring home two more runs and cut the deficit to 6-3. The Hillcats walked nine times in the contest, which marked a season-high allowed by the Pelicans, and also saw two batters hit by a pitch.
NELLIE TALLIES ANOTHER
In the seventh inning, Nellie Rodriguez notched his league-leading 54th RBI of the year on a base hit after Clint Frazier doubled two batters earlier. Haasewalked to put the tying run at first with only one out, but Michael Heesch worked out of a jam by retiring the next two Hillcats to maintain a 6-4 Pelicans lead.
In the bottom of the eighth, Jeimer Candelario lined a solo home run to right field to push the final margin to 7-4.
KEEPING UP WITH THE ‘CATS
Lynchburg left 11 men on base, marking the third time in the last four games the Hillcats have stranded double-digit baserunners…Overall, the ‘Cats have left at least 10 runners in 11 contests this season…Lynchburg has stranded 44 men in its past four games.
UP NEXT
Lynchburg plays a doubleheader Saturday at 5:05 p.m. Luis Lugo (3-5, 5.48) and Mitch Brown (2-7, 5.34) will start the pair of contests for the Hillcats. Fans can tune in to the action on ESPN Virginia 93.3 FM and 1320 AM as well as www.lynchburg-hillcats.com beginning at 4:50 p.m. for the Hillcats On-Deck Show.
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Chris Graham
