For only the second time in 2016, the Lynchburg Hillcats were shut out on offense. This time the contest went 11 innings before the opposition broke through. Brock Hartson and Jared Robinson dueled against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans pitching staff all night, as only 11 combined hits were posted at TicketReturn.com Field Tuesday night.
Brock Hartson did not allow a single run in six innings while holding Myrtle Beach to three hits and two walks. The right-hander went 84 pitches and struck out three to lower his ERA to 4.44. His opposing starter, Carolina League Pitcher of the Year Trevor Clifton, also went six scoreless frames, striking out seven and only surrendering three baserunners the entire evening.
Neither pitcher factored into the decision, leaving it up to the bullpen. After each team failed to score in the first nine stanzas, the game went to extra innings. On the first pitch of the 11th, David Bote laced a triple to right-center field. That forced the Hillcats infield to play in. Two batters later, Bryant Flete grounded a ball up the middle to end the game, 1-0 in 11 frames.
Daury Torrez earned the win for Myrtle Beach with five punchouts in two shutdown stanzas. The Pelicans pitching staff combined for 14 strikeouts and only one walk Tuesday. Jared Robinson took the hard-luck loss after going four scoreless innings before conceding the only run in the 11th.
Francisco Mejia had half of the Hillcats hits on a 2-5 night for his 13th multi-hit game with Lynchburg. Anthony Santander’sdouble in the fourth represented the only extra-base hit for the ‘Cats. Taylor Murphy added a single in the fifth. Lynchburg never had multiple baserunners in any inning and only six total for the game.
Lynchburg fell to 6-7 in extra-inning contests…The HIllcats are 10-12 in games decided in the last at-bat and 17-18 in one-run affairs.
Lynchburg plays Myrtle Beach again Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. Thomas Pannone (2-0, 2.35) will start for the Hillcats. Fans can listen to the action on 93.3 FM and 1320 AM as well as www.lynchburg-hillcats.com, beginning with the Hillcats On-Deck Show at6:45 p.m.
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Chris Graham
