The Lynchburg Hillcats matched their longest winning streak of the season with a 5-0 win over the Salem Red Sox Thursday night at City Stadium. It was the first meeting between the two clubs in the second half. Ryan Hinson threw six scoreless innings to get is first win as a Hillcat. Kyle Kubitza had a pair of triples and scored three times while David Rohm had two RBI hits in the win.
Hinson (1-2) is now four-for-four for quality starts since joining the Hilcats, delivering six scoreless innings Thursdayand scattering three hits while striking out a season-high five batters.
The Hillcats (15-21, 51-54) got what would prove to be the game-winning run in the second inning when Kubitza tripled and scored on a wild pitch to make it 1-0 Hillcats.
Lynchburg added another run in the fourth when Rohm hit a two-out triple, his second in as many games, to plate Josh Elander. Then in the fifth Levi Hyams bounced a single through the right side to score Elmer Reyes. Kubitza tripled for the second time with two outs in the sixth and again scored on a wild pitch; this time a would-be strike three that bounced past C Blake Swihart to the safety netting. It was 4-0 Hillcats after six innings.
Red Sox (19-20, 52-57) starter Heri Quevedo (4-5) took the loss, giving up four runs in six innings of work. He allowed six hits and a walk while striking out five.
Rohm drove in his second run with a bouncing single he snuck under the glove of a diving 3B Stefan Welch, allowing Kubitza to score after he reached on an error by SS Nick Natoli.
Hillcats relievers Brandon Cunniff and Chasen Shreve combined for three one-hit innings to polish off the shutout. Shreve entered the game with the tying run in the on-deck circle in the eighth so he picked up his first save of the season.
The Hillcats look for a season-high five-game winning streak and to guarantee a series victory over the Salem Soxon Friday. Gates open at 6pm for a 7:05pm first pitch. The first 1,000 fans will have their choice of a University of Virginia- or Virginia Tech-colored Hillcats cap, presented by Harris Corporation and WLNI, for Battle of Virginia night at City Stadium. A.J. Holland (4-7, 4.69) takes the mound for Lynchburg against a starter TBA for Salem. If you can’t make it to the game join Erik Wilson and Jake Levy for the live radio broadcast. They go on the Hillcats On-Deck Show, powered by Honda/Suzuki of Lynchburg, at 6:40pm on 97.9 FM The Planet and lynchburg-hillcats.com
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Chris Graham
