Down to Last Out, Zarate Delivers for Hillcats
The Lynchburg Hillcats won in walk-off fashion on Thursday evening over the Fayetteville Woodpeckers by a score of 7-6. After a rough outing from both starting pitchers, it was the bullpens that carried the teams up until the final inning. Lynchburg was down to their final out before the walk-off
The Lynchburg Hillcats won in walk-off fashion on Thursday evening over the Fayetteville Woodpeckers by a score of 7-6.
After a rough outing from both starting pitchers, it was the bullpens that carried the teams up until the final inning. Lynchburg was down to their final out before the walk-off double from Angel Zarate.
Lynchburg poured it on in the first inning, tacking on five runs off the Fayetteville starter. It began with a wild pitch with the bases loaded to open the scoring.
Zac Fascia would deliver his second home run of the season as he jolted a no-doubter over the right field wall to score three and give Lynchburg a 4-0 lead. A few batters later, Wuilfredo Antunez would double home another run after a ball bounced off the glove of the second baseman.
Fayetteville got a run back in the third inning as Luis Baez picked up his sixth double of the season to score Leosdany Molina. The Hillcats would get the run back in the bottom of the inning thanks to a throwing error with two outs that allowed a run to score. Exiting the third, Lynchburg led 6-2.
It was the fourth inning that spelled trouble for the Hillcats as the Woodpeckers would tie things up with a four-run inning. Molina would drive home a run on a ground ball to to right field to score Dauri Lorenzo. Two straight sacrifice flies by Ricardo Balogh and Tyler Whitaker would tie the game at six apiece.
From there, it became a pitcher’s duel, as both bullpens held the opposing team scoreless from the fifth inning on.
It was not until the bottom of the ninth inning that the Hillcats would crack the scoreboard again. With two outs, Juan Benjamin would draw a walk to get the winning run aboard. Angel Zarate would drive a ball into the gap that rattled loose at the wall which allowed Benjamin to score from first.
With Zarate on second, the Hillcats would storm the field to celebrate another walk-off victory. With the win, the Hillcats improve back to .500 in the second half.
Lynchburg and Fayetteville will square off again on Friday night at 6:30 p.m. at Bank of the James Stadium.