Rocks Record Most Lopsided Win of Season

Lynchburg, VA- Blake Perkins  hit a lead-off homer and scored four times, while Brewer Hicklen  added a grand slam as the Wilmington Blue Rocks beat the Lynchburg Hillcats 11-1 on Saturday at Calvin Falwell Field. The Blue Crew have won two straight and will vie for their ninth series triumph in the last 11 tries on Sunday in the first-half finale.

Perkins opened the game with a homer and then was right in the thick of the Rocks' rally in the third. Rudy Martin got things started when he was hit by Adam Scott's pitch with one out. Perkins followed by working a walk and then Cristian Perez brought both around to score courtesy of a triple to center.
Rito Lugo  made his second straight start for the Rocks. The usual reliever allowed a first-inning tally on a Gavin Collins single. He settled down from there scattering five hits over five frames to earn the win.
Wilmington poured it on late. Hicklen provided the biggest blow with his salami in the seventh as the Rocks tallied four runs in the seventh and four more in the eighth.
Wilmington wraps up the opening half on Sunday at Lynchburg. First pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m. as Daniel Tillo hits the hill for the Blue Crew. Fans can catch all the action with the Voice of the Blue Rocks, Cory Nidoh, on 89.7 WGLS-FM.
PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:
The 10-run victory was the most lopsided victory of the season for the Rocks. Wilmington's previous high was a six-run rout on April 13 at Carolina. The Blue Crew did lose two games earlier in the campaign.
Cristian Perez had two more hits for the Blue Rocks on Saturday. That marked the infielder's fourth consecutive multi-hit performance. Perez is batting a robust .457 in June with hits in nine of his 10 starts during the season's third month, including six multi-hit games.
The Rocks have done most of their homer damage on the road this season. Wilmington has hit 22 of its 26 long balls this season outside of the First State. Nick Pratto  hit a solo dinger in the eighth inning on Friday, and Blake Perkins  took the second pitch of the night out of the park on Saturday. Perkins' shot was Wilmington's first lead-off homer this season and the first by a Blue Rock since July 10, 2018 when Nick Heath took Major League rehabber Chris Tillman deep in Frederick. Brewer Hicklen  added Wilmington's second grand slam of the season. MJ Melendez had the other. The Blue Crew are 13-5 this season in games where they leave the yard.