The Lynchburg Hillcats couldn’t get the bats going for the second game in a row, falling 5-1 on Friday.
Lynchburg (4-5, 36-40) entered the contest as the only team with a better than .500 record against the Wood Ducks (6-3, 56-23), but are now 6-6 in the season series following the loss.
The Wood Ducks got on the board first in the second inning. Josh Altmann took a walk to lead off the frame and Yohel Pozo singled to set up runners on the corners. Curtis Terry doubled to plate Altmann, then Julio Pablo Martinez followed that up with an RBI single to give Down East a 2-0 advantage. Tyler Depreta-Johnson’s single scored Martínez to push the lead to 3-0.
In the third, a trio of singles by Sam Huff, Diosbel Arias, and Altmann loaded the bases full of Wood Ducks with none away. Sacrifice flies by Pozo and Terry extended the Down East lead to 5-0.
Tyler Freeman helped the Hillcats’ cause when he reached base with a single to lead off the fourth. Nolan Jones doubled to score Freeman, giving the ‘Cats their first run at 5-1. The Wood Ducks bullpen was nails from there on out and the Hillcats would not score again in a rout by Down East.
Juan Hillman (Loss, 3-7) allowed five earned runs over six innings of work for the Hillcats. Anderson Polanco, Felix Tati, and Yapson Gomez combined for three scoreless innings of relief.
Josh Advocate allowed one earned runs across four innings in the start for Down East. Michael Matuella (Win, 3-1) fired two scoreless innings while Jefferson Medina (Save, 3) eared the three-inning save with three blank frames.
The Hillcats head into Saturday’s game looking for their first win of the series. Reid Anderson (3-4, 4.02) will toe the rubber for the Woodies while the Hillcats will counter with right-hander Cody Morris (1-0, 6.75) in his second start of his Carolina League career. First pitch will come at 6 p.m.
Max Gun and Anders Jorstad will be on the air at 5:50 p.m. with the Hillcats pre-game show on TuneIn Radio and the Radio434 App.
Weekend highlights include Sparking Saturday and Sandlot Sunday. Saturday’s game will include postgame fireworks shows presented by Central Virginia Sports Commission.
For tickets or more information, visit lynchburg-hillcats.com, call 434-528-1144, or visit the City Stadium box office.
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Chris Graham
