Guardians Baseball Insider

Lynchburg Hillcats 6, Delmarva Shorebirds 2

The Lynchburg Hillcats exploded in the fifth inning for four runs and to help them to their first win of the 2022 season, 5-2, against Delmarva. Rodney Boone took the mound for the Hillcats and had a successful first true start of the season. Boone started April 8th. against Salem but was rained out after just one inning.

Boone, the 2021 eighth round pick out of UC Santa Barbara, provided the Hillcats a much needed scoreless first inning. He fanned eight Shorebirds while allowing just one run on three hits in four innings of work. Boone showed great command and many of his strikes were swing and misses.

Relief Pitchers Zach Pettway, Trey Benton and Elvis Jerez continued to show why Lynchburg’s bullpen is a rock solid for talent. Pettway took the fifth inning and struck out two batters, allowing one earned run on three hits and ended up picking up the win. Benton came in for the sixth and seventh inning throwing two hitless innings while striking out two batters earning for a hold. Jerez finished off the game pitching both eighth and ninth innings, collecting six strikeouts and giving up just one hit to pick up the save.

Cats bats dangerous in middle innings

The Hillcats bats had been cold all season until the fifth inning of Thursday’s contest. Lynchburg was led by a Yordys Valdes RBI single to get Lynchburg on the board. Dayas Frias followed with a two run single to give Lynchburg the lead 3-2. An RBI from Jorge Burgos extended the lead 4-2. In the seventh, Burgos added another RBI making it 5-2.

Fox disciple at plate exhausting for pitchers

Jake Fox, a 2021 third round pick, continued his successful series against Delmarva on Thursday. Fox went 2/4 with two hits, two runs, a double and a walk. In the eighth inning Fox had a nine pitch at-bat against Delmarva’s Eduard Monroy ending in a walk. Monroy appeared frustrated and ended up giving up a run later in the inning to allow the Hillcats to extend their lead 6-2.

Up Next

Lynchburg will square off with Delmarva for game four of the six game series. First pitch is set for 6:30 PM as the expected starter for Lynchburg is Trenton Denholm (0-0, 1.80 ERA). Denholm has started one game this year going five innings, allowing five hits, one run, and struck out six in his debut. Delmarva’s expected starter is Conor Grady.