Lynchburg used some old-fashioned small ball to take a 2-0 victory over the Wilmington Blue Rocks on Sunday afternoon at Frawley Stadium. Michael Peoples tied a career high by earning his seventh victory of the season.
PUTTING ON A DISPLAY
Both teams were held scoreless through the first five innings as Michael Peoples went toe-to-toe with Brooks Pounders in a pitchers’ duel. Peoples worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the first inning and allowed just one more baserunner to advance into scoring position as he retired the final 11 batters he faced. Lynchburg didn’t put a runner in scoring position untilNellie Rodriguez doubled to lead off the fifth inning, but he was left stranded as Pounders retired the next three batters.
BREAKING THROUGH THE DEFENSE
Claudio Bautista led off the top of the sixth with a double and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Yhoxian Medina. In the very next at-bat, Luigi Rodriguez squeaked a single past Humberto Arteaga and into right field scoring Bautista from third and giving the Hillcats a 1-0 lead.
AUDIO: Luigi Rodriguez RBI single
Lynchburg used three straight singles in the top of the seventh inning that included a RBI by Eric Haase that scored Dorssys Paulino to make it 2-0 Hillcats.
CLOSING THE DOOR
After the single by Haase, the Hillcats didn’t put another runner on base, but two scoreless innings by Robbie Aviles kept Wilmington off the board so that Grant Sides could close the door. Sides retired the Blue Rocks in order, including a pair of strikeouts, to seal the shutout for Lynchburg and earn his second save with the Hillcats.
KEEPING UP WITH THE ‘CATS
Michael Peoples has turned in six quality starts in his last seven contests and is 3-0 in that span…Peoples has not lost a decision since May 7 against his former team, the Carolina Mudcats…As a team, the Hillcats have 16 quality starts in their last 28 games…With a 0-for-4 night at the plate, Clint Frazier saw his season-high 32-game on-base streak come to an end…The streak was the longest by any Hillcat this season and the second longest in the Carolina League behind Myrtle Beach’s Chesny Young, who entered Sunday with a 44 consecutive game streak…
UP NEXT
Lynchburg will look to take the series against the Wilmington Blue Rocks in the rubber match on Monday night at 6:35 p.m. 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 6:10 p.m. for the Hillcats On-Deck Show.
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Chris Graham
