Santander and Chang homer, but Lynchburg loses, 4-3

Anthony Santander and Yu-Cheng Chang each hit solo home runs, but Frederick scored four runs in the second inning and led the rest of the way on its way to a 4-3 final score at Nymeo Field Saturday night.

Frederick only had one hit after the second inning, but it didn’t need any after a four-run second spotted the Keys a 4-0 lead. Frederick sent 10 batters to the plate in the frame and knocked Justus Sheffield out of the game. Jonah Heim highlighted the stanza for the Keys with an RBI double and a run scored. Sheffield took the loss after only lasting 1 2/3 innings, surrendering four runs on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts.

Lynchburg chipped away at its deficit by scoring one run in three different frames. The Hillcats plated their first run when David Armendariz doubled to lead off the third and eventually scored on a groundball off the bat of Santander.

Yu-Cheng Chang hit a solo home run to left field with one out in the fourth, and Santander went deep to open the sixth and pull Lynchburg within one, 4-3. The Hillcats put the potential tying run in scoring position later in the sixth and also put a man on base in the ninth, but Lynchburg couldn’t push across a fourth run to tie it.

Lynchburg is 9-2 against the Keys this year…All three games of this series have been decided by one run…The ‘Cats are 9-10 in one-run games.

Lynchburg closes out the first half of the season with an afternoon game at Frederick at 2 p.m. Mitch Brown (2-4, 4.25) will start for Lynchburg against Lucas Long (4-4, 3.85). 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 at 1:45 p.m.