Fayetteville Blows Out Lynchburg to Split Series with Hillcats

The Fayetteville Woodpeckers let out their frustration from a disappointing season by knocking off the Lynchburg Hillcats 18-4 on Sunday afternoon.

Every player for Fayetteville had at least two hits as the team combined for five home runs. Every Hillcats pitcher surrendered at least one run while surrendering a total of 21 hits.

The Woodpeckers stormed out to a big early lead in the first inning as they unloaded on Adam Tulloch. Garrett McGowan picked up a grand slam to open up the scoring, his third home run of the season. John Garcia, Leosdany Molina, and Jackson Loftin all picked up RBI base hits to extend the lead to 7-0 after one.

In the second, it was more of the same as a wild pitch extended the Fayetteville lead to eight. Ricardo Balogh and Garcia would each pick up a run on a double and a single respectively before a fielder’s choice from Molina moved the lead to 11-0.

The bottom of the third inning showed signs of life for the Hillcats. Pres Cavenaugh would pick up an RBI on a single to right field before a groundball from Zac Fascia would roll underneath the first basemen’s glove for another run. Lynchburg would leave the bases loaded as they ended the inning trailing 11-2.

In the top of the fourth inning, Fayetteville would pick up another run with a solo home run from Balogh. Balogh drilled it halfway up the right field scoreboard for his sixth home run of the year.

Leosdany Molina would follow it up in the fifth with a solo shot of his own. Luis Encarnacion did not want to miss out on the action as he would find the left field pine tree for a two-run home run and extend the lead to 15-2. Jackson Loftin would tack on one more in the top of the sixth to continue the rout.

Tyresse Turner picked up a little league home run in the bottom of the seventh inning. A grounder to third was botched at first, a throw home to retire the lead runner allowed Turner to run to third. Fayetteville would throw it into left letting Turner touch home.

In the top of the eighth, Molina picked up his second home run of the day to push the lead further in favor of Fayetteville. Molina celebrated his two-run shot with a massive bat flip to the disdain of the home crowd as the lead extended to 15.

In the ninth inning, Juan Benjamin would tack a run on the board with a sacrifice fly to right field to cut the score to 18-4.

Lynchburg will head out on the road for a two-week road trip beginning on Tuesday at the Salem Red Sox. The Hillcats will return home for a series with the Fredericksburg Nationals August 8-13th.