Hillcats nip Blue Rocks

From staff reports

Published: July 16, 2008

Wilmington right fielder Cody Strait looked to be in line to play the spoiler again Tuesday afternoon, coming to bat with two on and only one away in the bottom of the ninth, with Lynchburg leading by just a run.

With his pinch-hit, walk-off single from Saturday night fresh in his mind, the cleanup hitter grounded into a double play, giving reliever Dustin Molleken, who came on to start the ninth, the first save of his professional career as the Hillcats edged the Blue Rocks, 6-5.

Starter Jared Hughes picked up his third win of the season, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits through 6 1/3 innings. Lynchburg (14-11) salvaged a series split with Wilmington, and remains three games ahead of the Blue Rocks in the race for a spot in the Northern Division playoffs. The Hillcats head to Frederick for a one-game series with the Keys tonight with Daniel Moskos (7-5, 5.42 ERA) on the mound for the 7 p.m. game.

Hughes was shaken a bit in the first, walking Derrick Robinson to lead things off. Robinson would steal second, then get caught a rundown that ended with a fielding error by second baseman Jim Negrych, allowing Robinson to advance to third. Robinson would then come home thanks to a Brad Correll RBI double to give the Blue Rocks a 1-0 lead. The Hillcats would strike back in the very next inning as Wilmington starter Everett Teaford put lead-off man Kent Sakamoto aboard via the walk, and advanced the DH to third on two wild pitches. After a Miles Durham fly-out, Jared Keel would bring Sakamoto home, followed up by an Eddie Prasch walk, a Chris Jones RBI double, and an RBI groundout by James Barksdale to give Lynchburg a 3-1 lead.

Lynchburg scored two more runs in the third. The first on a two-run blast by Sakamoto, scoring Jim Negrych after his lead-off single. Wilmington pulled within two in the fourth, thanks to a two-run double by Kurt Mertins. Wilmington left fielder Jarrod Dyson scored on a throwing error by shortstop Angel Gonzalez in the seventh, to pull the Blue Rocks within one.

Needing an insurance run, Miles Durham would reach on a one-out single in the eighth off of Aaron Hartsock, on in relief of Teaford. Durham stole second on a close throw from catcher Matt Morizio, then reached third on a fly out to center by Jared Keel. Eddie Prasch was intentionally walked then the Blue Rocks’ closer Tyler Chambliss was brought in to face the Hillcats’ No. 9 batter, Chris Jones. Jones, already with an RBI double, slapped a single through the hole and into left to score Durham, and give Lynchburg a 6-4 lead.