Hillcats Use Balk, Late Game Hitting, to Defeat Salem

All the Lynchburg Hillcats needed was a balk to pick up the win against the Salem Red Sox on Tuesday night as they would win 5-0.

Though they added on more runs, the balk from Trennor O’Donnell in the sixth inning was the first, and eventually winning, run of the game. Lynchburg would tack on more in each of the following two frames.

The game was quiet for the first five innings as Jackson Humphries and JoJo Ingrassia pitched dueling gems. Neither gave up a run or was faced with too much trouble. The only worrisome moment for Humphries came in a bases loaded, no-out situation which he escaped after a double play from the outfield prevented a run from scoring.

The balk would put Lynchburg in front 1-0 as Rafael Ramirez Jr. would plate the first run of the game. Though the Hillcats would have another runner at third in the inning, they would not be able to tack on anymore.

In the bottom of the seventh, Fran Alduey would single to left, but a throwing error would allow the runner from second to score and Alduey to make his way down to third base. Ralphy Velazquez would plate him two batters later with an RBI single, one of three hits for the young first baseman. His recently named MLB All Star Futures Game mate, Jaison Chourio, would pick up his own RBI with a sacrifice fly to take a 4-0 lead.

The Hillcats would plate one more in the eighth as Kevin Rivas would rope a single into left that scored Ramirez Jr. Despite the slow start, the Hillcats still finished with 10 hits.

Lynchburg now extends their season series lead over Salem to 12-2, and will look to further that mark with game three of the series on Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m.