LATE RALLY COMES UP SHORT, HILLCATS FALL 6-4
SUMMARY
A four-run fifth inning broke the game open for Salem and a late rally came up short as Lynchburg fell 6-4 Saturday night at LewisGale Field. The loss was the first for the Hillcats in 10 contests at the home of the Salem Red Sox this season.
LUGO CAN THROW!
Luis Lugo was looking for his first win in his last three starts and looked sharp in the early going. Lugo surrendered a RBI double to Jordan Weems in the second that gave Salem a 1-0 lead, but he settled in and started mowing down Red Sox. Through four innings, Lugo struck out a season-high seven batters, the final coming against Weems to end the fourth inning.
After retiring the first two batters of the fifth inning, Lugo gave up a pair of walks and a single to load the bases before he was replaced by Justin Brantley. Brantley gave up a two-RBI single to Mario Martinez and gave the Red Sox a 3-1 lead. The very next batter, Kevin Heller, who came in to hit for Yoilan Cerse, doubled to drive in another pair of runs to put Salem up four, 5-1.
WOKE UP LATE
In a ballpark where the Hillcats have recorded 51 extra base hits this season, it took a long time for the bats to wake up. Clint Frazier recorded a sacrifice fly in the third inning to tie the game at one. Lynchburg didn't record an extra-base hit in the game until Frazier smacked a double to lead off the eighth inning.
TRYING TO MOUNT A COMEBACK
In the top of the ninth, down 6-1, Eric Haase led off the inning with a free pass and advanced to second on a wild pitch by Taylor Grover. Luigi Rodriguez singled to drive Haase home to bring Lynchburg within four, 6-2. Clint Frazier then roped an opposite-field home run, his 10th of the season, to make it a two-run game with two outs.
AUDIO: Frazier two-run home run
Nellie Rodriguez doubled to extend the game, but Paul Hendrix grounded out to short to end the contest and give the Hillcats their first loss on the road at LewisGale Field this season.
KEEPING UP WITH THE 'CATS
Clint Frazier recorded his third straight multi-hit game with a 3-for-4 night at the plate…Frazier also extended his consecutive on-base streak to 24 games, the longest by any Hillcat this season…Luis Lugo tied a season-high for strikeouts with seven, but was unable to get the win...Lugo has received the least amount of run support of any pitcher in the Hillcats rotation with a mere 3.88 runs per start.
UP NEXT
Lynchburg will continue their road trip and head to Winston-Salem to begin a four-game series with the Dash beginning with the continuation of a suspended game on Sunday afternoon at 4:05 p.m. Fans can tune in to the action on ESPN Virginia 93.3 FM and 1320 AM as well as www.lynchburg-hillcats.com beginning at 3:50 p.m. for the Hillcats On-Deck Show.