LYNCHBURG, VA - The Mudcats scored four runs over the first four and a half innings, but the Hillcats rallied back with four unanswered runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh while winning game three of the four game set 6-4 on Wednesday night at Calvin Falwell Field in Lynchburg.
LYNCHBURG, VA - The Mudcats scored four runs over the first four and a half innings, but the Hillcats rallied back with four unanswered runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh while winning game three of the four game set 6-4 on Wednesday night at Calvin Falwell Field in Lynchburg.
The Mudcats (23-16) scored two first inning runs and two more later in the fifth in support of starter Noah Zavolas, but the Hillcats (19-18) rallied back with three in the fifth, one in the sixth and two in the seventh while winning the game 6-4.
In all, Zavolas worked through the sixth and allowed four runs on 10 hits in the game. He had a 4-0 lead after four and a half, but saw it slip away after he gave up a three-run home run to Luke Wakamatsu in the fifth and a game tying single to Jose Vicente in the sixth. Zavolas finished without a decision and ended up reaching 84 pitches (61 strikes) in the game.
Cody Beckman followed Zavolas out of the Carolina bullpen and ended up taking the loss after allowing two Lynchburg runs in the seventh. The two run Hillcats seventh included a run scoring triple from Jodd Carter and a sacrifice fly from Nolan Jones. Beckman (2-1, 3.79) allowed two runs and three hits in the seventh while suffering his first loss of the season.
Carolina originally led 4-0 in the game and had built their lead with two runs on three hits in the first and two more runs and three hits again in the fifth. Their two run first began with a lead off single from Joantgel Segovia and a one-out single from Tristen Lutz. Payton Henry then drove in Segovia with a double and a RBI ground out from Mario Feliciano scored Lutz.
The two run fifth, meanwhile, included a lead off double from Eddie Silva, a single from Devin Hairston, a RBI single from Segovia and a RBI force out hit into by Ryan Aguilar.
Segovia went 3-for-5 with a run and a RBI in the loss for the Mudcats. Aguilar, Henry and Hairston all went 1-for-4 with a RBI.
Both runs and all three Carolina hits in the fifth came off Brennan Bernardino, but that would be all that the Mudcats could muster against the Lynchburg reliever. Bernardino (1-1, 5.14) earned the win after allowing just the two runs (one earned) on four hits over four innings. He also walked one and struck out three.
Jonthan Teaney later pitched a scoreless eighth (1 BB, 1 SO) and Anthony Gose (S, 2) wrapped it up with a scoreless ninth (1 BB, 1 SO) while earning his second save of the year. JC Mejia started and allowed two runs on four hits over three innings (0 BB, 5 SO) before leaving the game.
Chris Dula was the final Carolina reliever in the game as he pitched a scoreless eighth. Dula faced just four in the in the eighth and walked one. Dula's walk was the only walk issued in the game for the Mudcats. Neither Zavolas, Beckman or Dula tallied a strikeout in Wednesday's loss to the Hillcats.
The Hillcats took a 2-1 lead in the four game series with Wednesday's game three of four victory versus the Mudcats. The series will conclude on Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. in Lynchburg with Braden Webb (0-0, 1.80) starting for the Mudcats. The game will air live on the Mudcats Radio Network, The Big Dawg 98.5 FM and online at carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio.
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