The Potomac Nationals lead the Carolina League in stolen bases, and it showed on Friday night as they swiped nine bags en route to a 7-3 win over the Hillcats at City Stadium.
The Nationals scored in the first inning. Jeff Kobernus had an infield single. He then stole second and third. When he stole third, catcher Shawn McGill’s throw went into left field, and Kobernus trotted home to give the Nationals the early lead.
Potomac scored more conventionally in the second inning. Zach Walters doubled out to left field, and Sandy Leon followed behind him a with a single to put the Nationals up 2-0.
The Hillcats struck back in the bottom of the second. Joe Leonard singled to lead off the inning. Keenan Wiley struck out, but Shawn McGill singled. Ryan Query knocked a single to right field to score Leonard and cut the lead to 2-1.
The Hillcats took their first lead since Tuesday in the fourth inning. With two outs, McGill hit a grounder to third. Jose Lozada threw the ball across the infield high, which pulled Steven Souza off the base. Query followed with a live drive down the right field line that rolled all the way to the corner. McGill came around to score on the hit, and Query slid into third with a triple. With L.V. Ware at the plate, Query was able to score on a wild pitch by Nationals starter Sammy Solis, and the Hillcats led 3-2.
Things went downhill for the Hillcats from there. The Nationals retook the lead in the top of the sixth inning. Jeff Kobernus walked, stole two bases, and scored on a wild pitch by Hillcats starter Corey Brewer to tie the game. Justin Bloxom also scored in the inning on an RBI single by Zach Walters, and the Nationals went ahead 4-3.
Reliever Jeremy Haynes gave up two unearned runs in the seventh inning, after he made an errant throw early in the inning. Two runs came across to score, and the Nationals led 6-3. They added one more in the eighth, and despite the Hillcats threatening in the ninth, held on to the 7-3 win.
The Hillcats gave up nine stolen bases in the game, and 21 in the series. It was the first time all season that Lynchburg had been swept in a four-game series.
Brewer (1-2) took the loss, and Solis (6-2) earned the win for the Nationals. The Hillcats dropped to 28-37 in the second half, while the Nationals improved to 38-28.
The final series of the season starts Saturday night as the Winston-Salem Dash come to Lynchburg. Gary Moran (1-1) will pitch for the Hillcats, while the Dash will send out Cameron Bayne (12-7). The first pitch is at 6:05 pm and the gates will open at 5.
The Hillcats On-Deck Show presented by Honda/Suzuki of Lynchburg will go on the air at 5:40 pm. Tune in to 105.5 KD Country or go to lynchburg-hillcats.com to listen live to all the action.
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