Hillcats Flip Script, Provide Heartbreak to Salem in Comeback Fashion
The Lynchburg Hillcats flipped the script on the Salem Red Sox by walking them off it the 10th inning on Saturday night, 6-5. Juan Benjamin was placed on second to start the 10th as the ghost runner and would go to steal third with one out in the inning. The
The Lynchburg Hillcats flipped the script on the Salem Red Sox by walking them off it the 10th inning on Saturday night, 6-5.
Juan Benjamin was placed on second to start the 10th as the ghost runner and would go to steal third with one out in the inning. The throw down would sail high, allowing Benjamin to coast home. After aggressive baserunning cost the Hillcats last night, it played in their favor tonight.
Salem would jump out to the lead in the fifth inning as Stanley Tucker would drive home Albert Feliz with an RBI single. One inning later, Feliz would deliver a three-run home run over left-center field to put Salem up 4-0. The homer was one of three hits for Feliz, who would finish a triple shy of the cycle.
Lynchburg would creep back in the sixth inning after Manuel Mejias would be ruled out on an infield fly rule that landed on the outfield grass. Wuilfredo Antunez would score as Salem attempted to recover and regroup. Two more runs would score later in the frame after two wild pitches would cut the deficit to one.
The Red Sox would extend their lead once more in the eighth as Feliz would wrap up his night with an RBI single to left, bumping the lead to 5-3. For the second straight day, the Hillcats tailed by this score heading to the ninth.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Lynchburg would load up the bases before Antunez would draw a walk to cut the Salem lead down to one. Esteban Gonzalez would drive home the tying run with a sacrifice fly to right. The Hillcats would leave the bases loaded headed to the tenth.
In the top of the inning, Salem would leave their runner stranded on third after a masterful job by Wardquelin Vazquez kept the game tied. In the bottom of the tenth, Benjamin played hero with a straight steal of third, forcing the throwing error into left field, putting Lynchburg on top.
The Hillcats have now secured the series split and will look to secure to victory with a win on Saturday night against Salem at 6:30 p.m.