Hillcats Rally Past FredNats

Fredericksburg, Virginia – The Lynchburg Hillcats (19-17) tallied four runs in the top of the seventh inning and held the Fredericksburg Nationals (12-26) to just three hits to even the series at one apiece on Wednesday night.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The FredNats scored first in the bottom of the first inning with Hillcats starter Daniel Espino on the mound. Viandel Pena scored after a walk and two wild pitches brought him around the base-paths, making it 1-0 Nationals off no hits.
• Lynchburg responded immediately in the top of the second on FredNats hurler Rodney Theophile. Cody Farhat added an RBI when he singled to right field to bring Andres Melendez home. With two outs and Hosea Nelson at third the Hillcats scored again on a balk taking a 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the second.
• The teams traded blows again in the next frame when Nationals’ first baseman Jackson Coutts went yard on Espino to knot the game at two apiece.
• Espino pitched two shutout innings in the third and the fourth, but the FredNats took the lead back in the bottom of the fifth. Jeremy Ydens and Jake Boone hit back-to-back knocks, and while on the move an error at 3rd allowed for Ydens to race home and put the Hillcats in a one run hole.
• In need of a late game rally, the Hillcats found the juice and then some in the top of the seventh against FredNats reliever Bryan Peña (1-1). Cody Farhat walked to leadoff the inning, coming home when Alexfri Planez smashed a home run to center field. The Lynchburg slugger’s fourth home run of the year gave the Hillcats a sudden one-run lead. With still no outs, Yordys Valdes was hit by a pitch and Angel Martinez reached on an error from FredNats’ Jackson Coutts at first. Both runs scored when Yainer Diaz laced a single through the hole at shortstop to make it 6-3 Hillcats.
• Lynchburg wasn’t done yet as Angel Martinez and Christian Cairo added RBIs in the top of the eighth on a single and sacrifice fly respectively. The two scores pushed the Hillcats lead to five.
• Liam Jenkins (1-0) made his debut in relief with the Hillcats, earning the win in two innings pitched. The Louisville product fanned four batters and blanked the FredNats.
• Jaime Arias finished the job for the Hillcats in the 8th and 9th, pitching two hitless frames to secure a 8-3 Lynchburg victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Four Hillcats earned multi-hit games, with Yordys Valdes going 2-3.
• 64% of the pitches thrown by Arias were strikes.

WHO'S NEXT

The Hillcats clash with the FredNats in game three of a six game series on Thursday night at 7:05pm from FredNats ballpark.