Globe iconLogin iconRecap iconSearch iconTickets icon
Single-A Affiliate
The Official Site of the Lynchburg Hillcats Lynchburg Hillcats

Hillcats Fly Past Nationals on Opening Day

Cat’s Put on Offensive Clinic in Big Win
May 5, 2021

Lynchburg, Virginia – The Lynchburg Hillcats mashed four homers and exploded for two six-run innings to defeat the Fredericksburg Nationals 16-3 on Opening Day from Bank of the James Stadium. HOW IT HAPPENED - Xzavion Curry brought the heat in his first ever minor league game, tossing four scoreless innings

Lynchburg, Virginia – The Lynchburg Hillcats mashed four homers and exploded for two six-run innings to defeat the Fredericksburg Nationals 16-3 on Opening Day from Bank of the James Stadium.

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • Xzavion Curry brought the heat in his first ever minor league game, tossing four scoreless innings and fanning five batters in his start for the Hillcats.
  • Lynchburg’s offense backed up Curry straight away, riding multiple free bases to take an early 2-0 lead after the first inning.
  • The floodgates opened for the Hillcats in the bottom of the second. Nationals pitcher Leif Strom gave up a lead-off walk to Yordys Valdes to start the frame, followed by a Julian Escobedo single and a Jhonkensy Noel sacrifice fly that brought home Valdes. Up 3-0 with Escobedo on, Newport Beach native Micah Pries launched a two-run shot over the right field wall, marking his first professional home run. Three batters later Johnathan Rodriguez put an exclamation point on the frame with a crushed home-run to left, adding three RBIs for the Hillcats slugger and giving Lynchburg a hefty 8-0 lead after just two innings of play.
  • The Hillcats added a run apiece in the 3rd and the 6th innings to go up double digits on the Nationals. Jaime Arias came in to pitch two shutout frames in the 5th and 6th, but Fredericksburg did get on the board in the 7th inning, knocking three hits to score three runs tagged to Arias.
  • The ‘Cats silenced any comeback dreams with another offensive explosion in the bottom of the eighth. The six run inning was highlighted by an Alexfri Planez solo-shot and Noel’s three-score bomb.
  • Daritzon Feliz finished out the game on the mound for the Hillcats, blanking the Nationals for the final 2.1 innings to secure the 16-3 victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

  • Korey Holland earned an outfield assist with a throw from centerfield to get out @JoseSanhez advancing to second.
  • The Nationals made five errors, compared to the Hillcats none.

WHO'S NEXT

The Hillcats and the Nationals return to action Wednesday at 6:30pm from Bank of the James Stadium.