Nationals pull away late to take series from ‘Cats

The Lynchburg Hillcats took a series loss while dropping below .500 for their seven-game home stand with a 7-2 loss to the Potomac Nationals Saturday night at City Stadium.  Ryan Hinson was again a tough-luck loser despite a seven-inning Quality Start.  Kyle Kubitza and Elmer Reyes had an RBI apiece in the loss.  It was the final meeting between the Hillcats (11-21, 47-54) and Nationals (20-13, 62-40) this season.

Hinson (0-2) faced the minimum in every inning he pitched except for the fifth, where he allowed all three runs against him.  He gave up eight hits in seven innings of work while striking out one and walking a man.  He used two pickoffs and a lineout double play, which he started, and a ground-ball-double-play to erase the base runners outside of the fifth inning.

The Nationals batted around in the fifth to take the lead with a three-run frame.  A walk and three-straight singles led off the inning, with Justin Miller driving in Cutter Dykstra for the game’s first run and Mike Gilmartin dropped down a bunt for an infield single before Hinson’s throw went wide into right field to allow Kevin Keyes to score.  Randolph Oduber drove in the third run with a single.

The Hillcats got a pair back in the seventh inning.  David Rohm doubled to lead off the inning then, after a flyout, Trent Moses bled one through the left side to put runners at the corners.  Kubitza hit a sharp grounder that was speared by 1B Miller to cut down the runner at second but the return throw was not in time, allowing Rohm to score the Hillcats’ first run.

Shawn McGill then singled to chase starter Blake Schwartz from the game.  Reyes was the first man to face reliever Rafael Martin and he delivered an RBI-single to get the Hillcats within one.  After a walk, Matt Weaver struck out with the bases loaded to end the inning with the Hillcats trailing, 3-2.

Schwarts (8-4) went 6.2 innings, facing just one over the minimum through the first six frames.  He allowed two earned runs on four hits while striking out five.  He left with the tying run aboard but Martin was able to get out of the inning after giving up just one of the two inherited runners.

The Nationals added an insurance run in the eighth when they pulled off a double steal and McGill’s throw was high, forcing 2B Levi Hyams into a full leap to snare it, but the ball was bounced out of his glove by the slide of Dykstra, kicked the ball far enough for Michael Taylor to score after stealing third to make it 4-2 Potomac.  Potomac scored three more runs on four hits in the ninth to run away with the game.

The Hillcats have an off day Sunday before beginning a three-game road series in Frederick, MD against the Keys. Greg Ross (6-4, 3.82) gets the start for Lynchburg against Frederick’s Brady Wager (2-4, 4.86) in the opener. Erik Wilson has the call live from Harry Grove Stadium starting with the Hillcats On-Deck Show, powered by Honda/Suzuki of Lynchburg, going live at 6:40pm on 97.9 FM The Planet and lynchburg-hillcats.com