Lynchburg’s losing streak reaches eight

The Hillcats fell for the eighth straight time tonight in a 5-4 extra inning loss to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. The Pelicans walked-off for the fifth time this season and second time in consecutive nights against the Hillcats. Edwin Garcia singled in the game-winner with two outs in the bottom of the tenth inning. It was just Garcia’s fifth RBI of the season.

The starters on both sides traded blank frames for the first three innings.

RHP Gus Schlosser sat down the first nine Pelican batters he faced, striking out five of them, before giving up the perfect game, no-hitter, and shutout in the fourth inning. Odubel Herrera tripled to lead off the fourth. Then, Tomas Telis singled to drive in the first run of the game.

Another Myrtle Beach run crossed the plate in the fifth. Vinny DiFazio hit a solo shot for his second home run of the season. The Pelican led 2-0.

Schlosser would get through the sixth but hit a few more bumps in the road before ending his night. He walked one and surrendered two more singles in his final inning. Another two runs came around on RBI knocks for Brett Nicholas and DiFazio. The lead extended to 4-0

The Hillcats offense woke up in the seventh inning. David Rohm doubled in a pair of runs with one out to cut the Pelicans lead in half. RHP Kyle Hendricks was relieved after the double, throwing six and one-third innings. He gave up two earned runs on three hits, while walking three and striking out six, and eventually took a no-decision.

Schlosser received a no-decision as well after allowing four runs in six innings. He struck out eight, his second-highest mark on the season.

The score remained 4-2 heading in to the ninth frame. Braeden Schlehuber had some late heroics in store for the ‘Cats. He hit a line drive homer over the left field wall. The blast plated two runs and tied the game with two outs in the ninth. It was his sixth home run of the season.

After the Hillcats went scoreless in the tenth, RHP Caleb Brewer entered for his first inning of relief to start extras. LHP Chasen Shreve had just thrown three innings scoreless. Brewer (1-1) gave up a single but then induced a double play. With nobody on and two out, a walk and two straight singles ended the game and gave the loss to Brewer.

RHP Francisco Mendoza (2-2) earned the win with a scoreless tenth inning for Myrtle Beach.

The loss is the eighth in a row for the Hillcats, who are currently 28-28. It is the first time the ‘Cats have been .500 this season. They won their first five games of the season and will be at risk of falling below .500 for the first time since Opening Day tomorrow night. They are leading the Northern Division now by just a half game ahead of the the Wilmington Blue Rocks.

Game three of the series is set for 7:05pm tomorrow night at Ticketreturn.com Field. The Hillcats will throw LHP Dimasther Delgado (3-2, 4.71) against RHP Wilmer Font (1-3, 4.24) for the Pelicans. Listen live to all the play-by-play action with Erik Wilson starting with the Hillcats On-Deck Show powered by Honda/Suzuki of Lynchburg at 6:40pm on 105.5 FM KD Country and online at lynchburg-hillcats.com