ZEBULON, N.C. - Devin Hairston went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs and two RBI, Weston Wilson had three hits and Nick Roscetti drove in two runs, but the Mudcats fell 6-5 to the Hillcats on Sunday afternoon at Five County Stadium.
ZEBULON, N.C. - Devin Hairston went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs and two RBI, Weston Wilson had three hits and Nick Roscetti drove in two runs, but the Mudcats fell 6-5 to the Hillcats on Sunday afternoon at Five County Stadium.
The Hillcats (14-10, 43-48) totaled 15 hits and took a two games to one lead in the four game set with Sunday's matinée victory over Carolina (13-10, 47-46). Dillon Persinger led the way for the Lynchburg offense as he totaled three hits while going 3-for-5 with a run and one RBI. His third hit came in the ninth and was a run scoring single that broke a 5-5 tie in the final frame.
Persinger's eventual game winning hit came off reliever Luke Barker and followed a double off the left-field wall moments earlier from Jodd Carter. Barker (4-3, 1.81), after earning his league leading 13th save the night prior, ended up allowing a run and two hits in the ninth in Sunday's game while taking the loss.
Billy Strode (3-1, 4.05) earned the victory out of the Lynchburg pen as he worked through two scoreless frames with only two hits allowed. James Karinchak (S, 11) later pitched a scoreless ninth while earning his 11th save of the season.
Carolina led first in Sunday's game as Hairston started the game with a walk before scoring two batters later on a run scoring hit from Wilson in the first inning. Wilson went 3-for-4 in the game, with his run scoring hit coming in the first off starter Anderson Polanco.
The Mudcats later went on to take a 2-0 lead in the fourth when Roscetti came through with a two-out, RBI double off Polanco. Roscetti's run scoring double ended up knocking Polanco out of the game, but was just the second of two hits allowed by the Lynchburg starter over the first three and 2/3 innings (2 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 6 SO).
Carolina's starter Victor Diaz out-lasted Polanco by a couple of outs and left during the fifth with four runs allowed (three earned) on a career high 11 hits. He lost a 2-0 lead in the fifth after giving up a three-run, home run to Carter and after allowing a RBI double to Jorma Rodriguez. Diaz had stranded seven base runners while pitching through the first four scoreless innings before allowing the Hillcats to take a 4-2 lead in the fifth.
Lynchburg led 4-2 entering the Carolina fifth, but Hairston quickly brought the Mudcats within one with a home run to left off reliever Riley Echols. Hairston's home run was his first with the Mudcats and his first overall between Low-A and High-A this season.
The Mudcats later tied the game at 4-4 in the sixth when Roscetti brought in Dustin Houle from third on a sacrifice fly to left. They then took a 5-4 lead when Hairston picked up his second RBI of the game with a run scoring single to center off Echols. Hairston was later caught at second on the back end of that same play, but the Mudcats had a 5-4 lead in the later half of the game.
Reliever Wuilder Rodriguez held the 5-4 Carolina lead through the seventh and worked through two and 2/3 scoreless frames while following Diaz. Phil Bickford then came in for the eighth and suffered a blown save after allowing Anthony Miller to triple and score to tie the game at 5-5. The Hillcats then rallied for their go-ahead run with two hits and a run off Barker in the ninth while defeating Carolina 6-5 in a see-saw battle in Zebulon.
Carolina will next play for the series tie as they take on the Hillcats on Monday for the series finale. Lynchburg leads the series two games to one and will have LHP Sam Hentges (5-6, 3.44) on the mound for Monday's series finale. The Mudcats will counter with RHP Devin Williams (0-2, 4.32) as they look to finish the four game set with a series split.
The game will air on the Mudcats Radio Network, the Big Dawg 98.5 FM and via TuneIn Radio at carolinamudcats.com. It will also be available via live streaming video at MiLB.tv. Tickets are available by visiting the Five County Stadium front office, by calling (919) 269-CATS (2287) and by visiting www.carolinamudcats.com/tickets.
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