Hillcats hammer Rocks

Chris Humphreys
Published: April 13, 2008

Things went about as well Sunday for the Hillcats as they possibly could as Lynchburg drubbed Wilmington 14-2 at City Stadium.
The Pirates’ 2007 top draft pick, starting pitcher Daniel Moskos, earned his first victory of the year in his Hillcats’ home debut. Lynchburg’s bullpen continued its early season dominance and the offense exploded for 18 hits including seven doubles and two triples.
“We would like to do that every night,” said Hillcats manager Jeff Branson. “We swung the bats well, pitched well and played defense. It was an all-around well-played game.”
Lynchburg (4-5) wasted little time in putting away Wilmington (3-7) as the Hillcats won their first series of the season by taking Sunday’s rubber match.
Moskos (1-0) retired the side in order in the top of the first and Lynchburg scored three runs in the bottom of the inning.
Shortstop Brian Friday led off with a double over the head of Blue Rocks’ right fielder Joe Dickerson.
Friday scored two batters latter on third baseman Jim Negrych’s single up the middle. First baseman Kent Sakamoto followed with a double to left that scored Negrych and left fielder Jared Keel capped the inning with a double just inside the third base bag that plated Sakamoto.
Wilmington answered back with two runs in the second with doubles by Dickerson, Kurt Mertins and Jeff Howell, but that was all the Blue Rocks could muster.
“Moskos was on top of his game,” Branson said. “The two runs he gave up were on balls up in the zone ... that’s only a glimpse of what you’ll see from him.”
Moskos worked five innings, allowed five hits, a walk and struck out five batters and the Hillcats’ bullpen extended its scoreless-innings streak to 14.
“Every guy, knock on wood, that we have brought out of the pen has done an outstanding job,” Branson said. “They’ve shown me they can really be trusted.”
Lynchburg’s bullpen has surrendered just two earned runs in 31 2/3 innings this season.
“Our starting pitcher is legit,” Sakamoto said. “They come in throw strikes and get outs and if we get them a lead and give it to our bullpen. We have a lot of guys that throw well and throw hard.”
The Hillcats would answer right back in the bottom of the second inning with three more runs to take a 6-2 lead. They tacked on two runs in the fourth, three in fifth, a run in the sixth and two in the seventh.
All but one of the Hillcats’ starters had at least one hit. Sakamoto had four, Friday, Negrych and Albert Laboy had three hits apiece and Eddie Prasch had two hits.
“It was good to see us break out like this today because we have the ability to swing the bats like this on a consistent basis,” Branson said.
Sakamoto finished the day 4-for-5 with three doubles and four RBIs. Friday was 3-for-4 with two walks, a double, a triple and four runs scored for Lynchburg.
“We are trying to turn the corner offensively,” Sakamoto said. “Tonight we came out and swung the bats real well and it seemed to be contagious.”