Hillcats Hold on to Win Fifth Straight
April 22, 2025 - Carolina League (CarL)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release
The Lynchburg Hillcats won their fifth straight by downing the Fayetteville Woodpeckers 6-5 on Tuesday evening.
Braylon Doughty settled in after a rough first inning to tie his career high of six strikeouts. Each of his six strikeout performances have come against the Woodpeckers.
Fayetteville struck early in the first inning after Lucas Spence would double home a run to take the early lead. A throwing error would move him to third, allowing him to score on a single from Kedaur Trujillo later in the frame.
The Woodpeckers would maintain the 2-0 lead to the bottom of the third inning when Bennet Thompson would extend his hit streak to 11 games, driving home a run in the process. Garrett Howe would score him and Luis Merejo before being retired on the basepaths, putting Lynchburg in front, where they would remain for the rest of the night.
Lynchburg would continue to tack on runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings. In the fourth, Jose Pirela delivered a prestigious solo blast to right field that bounced up to the cemetery across the street on a hop. For Pirela, it was his first homer as a Hillcat.
Cesar Hernandez would match him in the fifth inning with a two-run home run over the right field wall, tying the game up at four. However, a Jeffrey Mercedes sacrifice fly in the eighth and Welbyn Francisca single in the sixth would give Lynchburg two key insurance runs.
An error in the seventh by Lynchburg would allow Fayetteville to cut the deficit down to one, but that would be as close as they would get. Sean Matson would enter for a six-out save opportunity in the eighth inning, slamming the door shut on a Woodpeckers comeback.
Lynchburg will face off against Fayetteville for game two of the series on Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m. at Bank of the James Stadium.
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