Red Sox Rally Falls Short in 3-2 Loss to Lynchburg

SALEM, Va. – In emphatic contrast to game one of the series that saw 24 combined hits in a Red Sox “balk-off” victory, Wednesday night’s duel induced minimal offensive production in a 3-2 Hillcat win.

Lynchburg jumped on top from the get-go with a two-run top of the first inning, but they did so without a hit. No. 11 and No. Cleveland prospects Welbyn Francisca and Jaison Chourio walked respectively. After a strikeout, Ryan Cesarini walked as well to load the bas=es, before Logun Clarke sent an awkward roller under the mit of Red Sox shortstop Nazzan Zanetello for a two-run error.

Hillcats starter Jackson Humphries started his strong night by surrendering a walk, but dialed it back in and after a pickoff, retired the next two batters in the first to keep the Sox from threatening.

Red Sox starter Eduardo Rivera faced the minimum in both the second and the third while Nelly Taylor Jr. brought the Sox within a run, leading off the second with his second homer in as many nights to make it 2-1.

With bullpen arm Trennor O’Donnell on the bump for the Sox, Lynchburg added a run in the fourth to make it 3-1. Cesarini led off with a knock before Logun Clarke reached on an error for the second time in as many trips to the plate. Cesarini was brought in on an RBI-single off the barrel of Luis Durango, giving the Hillcats the two run cushion.

Jackson Humphries was light out the rest of the way, retiring each of the next twelve batters he faced. The 20 year-old 8th Round pick in 2022 tossed six complete innings, surrendering just one run, one hit, and a walk while striking out six.

O’Donnell faced the minimum in the fifth, sixth, and seventh to give the offense a chance. No. 18 Red Sox Nazzan Zanetello answered the call, hitting his way out of a nine for his last 92 slump with a leadoff blast over the left field fence to bring the Sox back within a run.

Nataneal Cruz came out of the pen and kept the Sox in it with shutdown frames in the eighth and ninth, striking out three of the six batters he faced. Natanel Yuten muscled a one-out double to right, but nothing came of it and the tying run was left in scoring position.

With the pressure on in the ninth, Nazzan Zanetello narrowly missed tying the ballgame with a 369 foot double off the left-center wall before Hillcats submarine arm Cam Shuelke shut the door with a strikeout and a one-three put out to seal the Lynchburg win.

The two teams combined for just six hits and five total runs. They’re back at it again on Thursday night for a 7:05 p.m. first pitch in Salem.