Andry Lara turned in a second straight strong start for the FredNats, but it was the Lynchburg Hillcats that took a 2-0 win over Fredericksburg on Thursday night in Lynchburg. Lara pitched six shutout innings, allowing just three hits, one walk and striking out seven.
In the last two games, the FredNat starters – Lara and Jackson Rutledge – have pitched 13 shutout innings with just six hits allowed and 17 strikeouts.
Lynchburg got the game’s only runs in the 7th inning on a two-run double by Cesar Idrogo, which happened the inning after Lara was lifted from the game.
Christopher De La Cruz had two of the five hits for the FredNats, a double and a single. He was stranded in scoring position twice in the game, and the FredNats left 11 men on base and struck out 12 times against Hillcat pitching.
Jacob Young and Branden Boissiere extended their hitting streaks to 10 and five games respectively in the loss as well, and Boissiere made a highlight reel diving catch at first base to keep the game at 2-0.
Lara has now allowed just one earned run in his last 18.2 innings pitched on the road.
The two teams will resume the series Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Bank of the James Stadium with Bryan Caceres on the mound for Fredericksburg.
