Five runs in the first inning set the Hillcats up to hang on for a 7-5 win over the FredNats in Sunday’s series finale.
Christian Knapczyk worked a leadoff walk for the Hillcats in the bottom of the first, before swiping second base. After Jaison Chourio walked, Angel Genao quickly put Lynchburg up three runs with a line-drive home run that just cleared the wall in right-center field. Manuel Mejias kept the inning rolling with a single, then Wuilfredo Antunez took Travis Sthele deep for the second time in the frame, putting the ‘Cats up 5-0 after one inning.
Fredericksburg battled back in the second, as Jose Colmenares hustled out an infield single and moved to second base on a sac bunt. Brenner Cox’s single pushed Colmenares to third base, and he came in to score later on a fielder’s choice grounder to shortstop.
The Hillcats matched that run in the bottom of the frame with a similar sequence, as a walk by Knapczyk turned into a run thanks to a stolen base, E2, and a fielder’s choice grounder.
Lynchburg balked home a FredNat run in the top of the fourth to make it a 6-2 Hillcat edge, before Fredericksburg’s comeback got going in the top of the sixth inning. Elijah Green walked on four pitches, and promptly stole second base. That put him in scoring position for Armando Cruz, who pounded a double into the left field corner to cut the gap to 6-3. Brenner Cox walked, and another balk call put Cruz on third base and Cox on second. Then, Everett Cooper and Tyler Baca each plated a run with infield grounders to pull the Freddies within a run, at 6-5.
However, the Lynchburg bullpen put an end to that rally, and went on to close things out in an eventual 7-5 win to split the six game series. Hillcat starter Alonzo Richardson got the win, with Matt Jachec earning a 3.1 inning save, while Travis Sthele took the loss on his line.
Fredericksburg (6-3) returns home for a six game series against the Fayetteville Woodpeckers beginning on Tuesday.
