For the second straight game, Lynchburg used a late-inning two-run homer to come from behind and defeat Frederick by one run. This time, Daniel Salters went deep with two outs in the seventh to send Lynchburg to a 5-4 victory over the Keys Saturday night.
Facing Luis Gonzalez in a lefty-lefty match with Andrew Calica on first base, Salters popped the first pitch he saw off the videoboard in right-center field to give Lynchburg its first lead of the game, 5-4. The Hillcats had previously trailed by as much as 4-0 in the middle of the fourth. It marked Salters’ third homer of the year and his first since April 14 at Myrtle Beach.
After Frederick scored a pair of runs in each of the third and fourth frames, Lynchburg began its comeback in the bottom of the fourth. Sam Haggerty opened the frame with a triple off the wall in center field and came home on a Ka’ai Tom infield single. Two batters later, Martin Cervenka doubled to drive in Tom and cut the margin to 4-2. The final run of the stanza came home when Willi Castro singled to left field and a fielding error allowed Cervenka to score. The Hillcats trailed 4-3 from that point until Salters’ blast.
Jordan Milbrath (2-1) earned the win with two scoreless innings of relief, striking out two while walking three. Jared Robinson came in for the final three outs and recorded them in order for his second save of the season. Gonzalez (1-1) suffered his first loss with the Keys this season.
Lynchburg attempts to complete its first four-game sweep of the season when it plays Frederick Sunday at 2 p.m. Shane Bieber (0-1, 4.58) takes the mound for the Hillcats against Cody Sedlock (4-3, 5.80). It’s another Family Funday Sunday with Family 4-packs available for $40. It’s also the Diamond Dig presented by Bowen Jewelry Company where fans that purchase spoons during the game will dig in the infield to try to find and win a diamond. Gates open at 1 p.m., and the game can be heard live at www.lynchburg-hillcats.com.
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Chris Graham
