Hillcats Take Third Straight 9-2 in Zebulon

Lynchburg 9 @ Carolina 2

April 23, 2022 | Venue : Five County Stadium | First pitch : 4:59 PM | Att : 3,730 | T : 2:50

LYN: 0 0 3 0 0 0 5 0 1 9 9 1

CAR: 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 7 2

WP: Jack Leftwich (1 - 0) LP: Alexander Cornielle (0 - 2)

ZEBULON – Lynchburg’s Dayan Frias went 2-for-4 with two runs, Richard Paz drove in two while going 2-for-5 and pitchers Jake Miller, Jack Leftwich and Yeury Gervacio struck out 11 in a 9-2 victory over the Carolina Mudcats on Saturday night at Five County Stadium. The loss was Carolina’s third straight, and dropped them to 3-2 deficit in the series.

The Mudcats (7-7) scored first for the third time in their last five games, but once again struggled to add to, or hold, the early lead as they lost their third straight. The Hillcats (6-8) scored three runs in the third and five runs in the seventh while bringing across eight unanswered runs. Carolina scored one late run in the seventh, but Lynchburg answered with one last run in the ninth while going up 9-2.

The Mudcats did, however, nearly bring across a run in the fifth when Alberis Ferrer followed a Zack Raabe walk with double off the center field wall. Raabe attempted to score from first on the Ferrer double but was caught at home for the inning’s first out. The Raabe walk and Ferrer double greeted Leftwich (1-1) to the game but was essentially all that he allowed in his strong relief outing.

Leftwich earned the victory for the Hillcats while pitching through three innings with just one run allowed on three hits. Miller started and struck out six over four innings. Miller also allowed just one run in his start.

Alexander Cornielle started for Carolina and took the loss despite allowing just one earned run (three total) over four innings pitched. Cornielle (0-2) allowed just two hits, but walked a career high five batters in the loss. Both of his hits allowed came in the first to start the game, but he worked around those while working a scoreless frame. His three runs allowed all came in the third, but all three scored without aid of a hit. Cornielle walked two and hit a batter during the three-run Lynchburg third.

Michele Vassalotti worked a scoreless fifth and sixth before leaving with two men on base in the seventh. Those two runners were eventually allowed in by Christian Tripp who went on to work the remainder of the seventh. Tripp also allowed three runs in the seventh as the Hillcats rallied for five runs in all. Vassalotti and Tripp both allowed runs for the first time this season in Saturday’s loss.

Junior Montero later worked a scoreless eighth for Carolina. Jakob Brustoski then pitched the ninth where he walked three, struck out three and allowed one run.

Carolina’s runs were both driven in with sac flies in the first and seventh from Jesus Chirinos and Jeferson Quero respectively.

The victory lifted the Hillcats into a 3-2 series lead in the six-game series with the Mudcats.

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:

Ferrer, SS (Carolina): 1-for-3, 0 R, 1 2B

Quero, DH (Carolina): 1-for-2, 1 R, 1 RBI

Chirinos, 1B (Carolina): 1-for-3, 1 RBI

Vargas, 3B (Carolina): 1-for-2

Frias, SS (Lynchburg): 2-for-4, 2 R

Paz, C (Lynchburg): 2-for-5, 1 R, 2 RBI

Durango, RF (Lynchburg): 2-for-3, 2 R, 1 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:

Cornielle (L, 0-2) (Carolina): 4 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 4 SO

Montero (Carolina): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO

Miller (Lynchburg): 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO

Leftwich (W, 1-0) (Lynchburg): 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO

Gervacio (Lynchburg): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO

SCORING:

Mudcats 1st (Mudcats 1, Hillcats 0) -- Alberis Ferrer strikes out swinging. Jeferson Quero walks. Wild pitch by Jake Miller, Jeferson Quero to 2nd. Micah Bello singles to left-center field, Jeferson Quero to 3rd. Jesus Chirinos out on a sacrifice fly to Jake Fox, Jeferson Quero scores. Throwing error by Jake Miller on the pickoff attempt. Hedbert Perez strikes out swinging.

(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 1 Errors, 1 LOB)

Hillcats 3rd (Hillcats 3, Mudcats 1) -- Isaiah Greene walks. Dayan Frias walks, Isaiah Greene to 2nd. Jake Fox hit by pitch, Isaiah Greene to 3rd; Dayan Frias to 2nd. Milan Tolentino out on a sacrifice fly to Hedbert Perez, Isaiah Greene scores. Richard Paz reaches on a fielder's choice, fielded by Jesus Chirinos, Dayan Frias scores; throwing error by Jesus Chirinos. Yordys Valdes walks, Jake Fox to 3rd; Richard Paz to 2nd. Victor Planchart struck out looking. Luis Durango reaches on fielding error by Zack Raabe, Jake Fox scores; Richard Paz to 3rd; Yordys Valdes to 2nd. Wilfri Peralta lines out to Zack Raabe.

(3 Runs, 0 Hits, 2 Errors, 3 LOB)

Hillcats 7th (Hillcats 8, Mudcats 1) -- Defensive Substitution: Eduardo Garcia replaces shortstop Alberis Ferrer, batting 1st, playing shortstop. Dayan Frias singles to right-center field. Wild pitch by Michele Vassalotti, Dayan Frias to 2nd. Jake Fox walks. Pitcher Change: Christian Tripp replaces Michele Vassalotti. Milan Tolentino grounds out, Eduardo Garcia to Jesus Chirinos, Dayan Frias to 3rd; Jake Fox to 2nd. Richard Paz singles through the hole at second base, Dayan Frias scores; Jake Fox scores. Yordys Valdes grounds out, Zack Raabe to Jesus Chirinos, Richard Paz to 2nd. Victor Planchart doubles to right-center field, Richard Paz scores. Wild pitch by Christian Tripp, Victor Planchart to 3rd. Luis Durango singles to left field, Victor Planchart scores. Wilfri Peralta triples to right-center field, Luis Durango scores. Isaiah Greene walks. Dayan Frias strikes out swinging.

(5 Runs, 5 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)

Mudcats 7th (Hillcats 8, Mudcats 2) -- Jose Sibrian singles to center field. Zack Raabe doubles to left-center field, Jose Sibrian to 3rd. Eduardo Garcia strikes out swinging. Jeferson Quero out on a sacrifice fly to Jake Fox, Jose Sibrian scores; Zack Raabe to 3rd. Micah Bello flies out to Luis Durango.

(1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Hillcats 9th (Hillcats 9, Mudcats 2) -- Pitcher Change: Jakob Brustoski replaces Junior Montero. Luis Durango walks. Wilfri Peralta walks, Luis Durango to 2nd. Isaiah Greene strikes out on foul tip. Dayan Frias walks, Luis Durango to 3rd; Wilfri Peralta to 2nd. Wild pitch by Jakob Brustoski, Luis Durango scores; Wilfri Peralta to 3rd; Dayan Frias to 2nd. Jake Fox struck out looking. Milan Tolentino strikes out swinging.

(1 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)