Lynchburg Blows Out Fredericksburg with Nine Run Inning

The Lynchburg Hillcats stormed to victory over the Fredericksburg Nationals by a score of 12-6 on Thursday night.

Lynchburg was carried by a nine-run third inning where all the first nine guys that came up the plate reached base and scored in the inning. The Hillcats also received an outstanding relief outing from Miguel Vinicio who came on in relief when Adam Tulloch ran into trouble in the fifth.

The Hillcats tacked three on the board in the second inning, giving them the early lead. Each of the runs came with two outs in the inning.

In the third inning, the floodgates burst open as all nine Hillcats reached base to start the inning. They would all come around to score during the inning. The turning point was a bases-clearing, three-run triple for Juan Benjamin who broke the game open.

Leading 12-0, the Hillcats went into cruise control in the fifth inning, when the Nationals would begin to piece together their comeback. Dylan Crews would drive home three with a double down the right field line. Fredericksburg would score three more before the Hillcats would finally end the inning with the lead cut in half.

The rest of the ballgame stayed quiet, with each team trading blows from the mound. Neither team would crack the scoreboard the rest of the night as Lynchburg would hold on for their first victory in the series.

The Hillcats and Nationals will square off again on Friday night Lynchburg looks to even the series. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Bank of the James Stadium.