Marathon Ballgame Ends in with a Hillcats Walk-off Over Fredericksburg

In the most chaotic game of the season, the Lynchburg Hillcats survived on another walk-off hit to knock off the Fredericksburg Nationals 14-13 on Sunday afternoon.

Angel Genao closed out the ballgame with an RBI single in the ninth to propel Lynchburg in a game that saw a combined 17 runs, 34 hits, and lasted over three-and-a-half hours. For the Nationals, Dylan Crews picked up his first career two-home run game and five-hit evening.

It was back-and-forth from the start, with the Nationals jumping out to the early lead on a Dylan Crews 2-run home run. Lynchburg stormed back in the bottom of the inning with a two-run single from Wuilfredo Antunez and a double steal that allowed Jose Devers to score.

Lynchburg put two more on the board in the second as Angel Genao doubled to drive home Jose Pastrano. Robert Lopez would pick up a single as well to score Genao later in the frame. Leaving the second, Lynchburg led 5-2.

The score would not last long as Dylan Crews blasted his second home run of the game in the top of the third. Marcus Brown would pick up an RBI of his own on a single to right to cut the deficit to one.

The Nationals would not stop there, as Crews picked up two more RBI’s with a single in the fourth inning. Brown would attempt to keep pace later in the inning with two of his own, putting Fredericksburg in front 8-5.

After a four spot in the top of the inning, Lynchburg would match them in the bottom of the inning. Jose Devers brought home one on an RBI single. Antunez would then blast his fourth home run of the season to clear the bases and score three, putting Lynchburg back up by one.

In the sixth, Devers would extend the lead by two more with a double to center field. Pres Cavenaugh would get in on the action with a fielder’s choice to drive home another run, bringing the score to 12-8 in favor of the Hillcats.

The lead dissipated quickly as Crews would pick up another RBI on a grounder to center field. Yohandy Morales would double him home to cut the deficit even more. Later in the inning, Andrew Pinckney would tie the ballgame with a two-run shot to right field.

The eighth would see some outstanding baserunning from Juan Benjamin, who came on for Maick Collado in the seventh. Benjamin would swipe two bases before scoring on a shallow sacrifice fly from Devers to put Lynchburg in front.

The Nationals would match them in the top of the ninth as Leando Emiliani brought home Dylan Crews with a sacrifice fly of his own to tie the ballgame once more.

Finally, in the bottom of the ninth, Lynchburg would get two aboard for Angel Genao. He floated one down the left field line for a game-winning base hit, picking up the Hillcats second walk-off of the series.

Lynchburg will now head to Fayetteville for a six-game series with the Woodpeckers beginning on Tuesday. The Hillcats will return home in just over a week as Delmarva returns to town for the penultimate home series of the season.