The Charleston RiverDogs went 4-20 with runners in scoring position, leading to a 9-6 defeat at the hands of the Lynchburg Hillcats on Saturday night at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. The RiverDogs matched their season-high with 14 hits and left 13 on base in their third loss of the series. Despite a 23-minute rain delay, 4,033 fans took in the game.
The Hillcats (1-1, 38-30) burst out of the gates with an offensive explosion in the first inning for the second time in the series. RiverDogs starting pitcher Chris Villaman had allowed no more than four hits in any of his first eight outings this season. Lynchburg collected five hits in the lone frame worked by the southpaw on Saturday. Tommy Hawke opened the game with a single and Ralphy Velazquez followed immediately with a two-run home run to right field. Jaison Chourio and Esteban Gonzalez collected back-to-back singles to restart the rally and put men on the corners. That pair executed a double steal with Christian Knapczyk at the plate to push the lead to 3-0. A final run scored on Robert Lopez’s two-out RBI base hit to make it 4-0.
The RiverDogs (1-1, 28-39) worked their way back into the ballgame over the next few innings. Jhon Diaz blasted his first home run of the season in the bottom of the opening stanza to put the RiverDogs on the board for the first time. A pair of unearned runs in the third brought the home team within one. With Adrian Santana at third base, Woo Shin’s groundball to short featured a throwing error by Knapczyk that allowed a run to score. Shin stole second base and scored on an RBI single from Raudelis Martinez to close the gap to one.
Lynchburg needed just one hit to add to the lead in the top of the fourth. Lexer Saduy opened the frame with a base knock and Fran Alduey followed with a fielder’s choice groundball. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases and a sacrifice fly by Chourio pushed the lead back to 5-3. A wild pitch allowed the Hillcats to add another run before the frame ended.
Ricardo Gonzalez’s RBI double in the fifth drew Charleston back within two. In the seventh, Martinez hooked an RBI triple into the right field corner to score another run and put the tying run at third with no outs. However, the next three hitters were retired without the run scoring.
The Hillcats further gained momentum back with two big insurance runs in the eighth and one more in the ninth against Samuel Mejia. The RiverDogs scored one run in the last of the ninth and brought the tying run to plate before Robert Wegielnik struck out Carlos Colmenarez to end the contest.
All 10 batters who stepped to the plate in the game for Charleston collected at least one hit. Martinez, Diaz, Delgado and Peguero all finished with a pair. Hawke went 3-5 with three runs scored to pace the Hillcats offense. Saduy and Lopez added two each.
Villaman took the loss, allowing four runs on five hits in his lone inning. Joel Canizalez walked five batters and allowed three runs over 3.0 innings in his RiverDogs debut. Following a tough start on Tuesday, Chandler Murphy gained redemption with 3.0 perfect innings out of the pen. Finally, Mejia allowed three runs on four hits in the final 2.0 innings.
Ballpark Fun
To kick off the team’s annual Larry Doby Weekend presented by MUSC Health, both teams took the field in replica Negro League uniforms. The RiverDogs played as the Newark Eagles and the Hillcats wore Homestead Grays jerseys.
The final game of the series is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. on Sunday evening. RHP Santiago Suarez (5-4, 4.42) will work on the mound for the RiverDogs. LHP Alex Clemmey (1-3, 5.76) will come back to make his second start of the week for Lynchburg. Parking is free and kids can run the bases after the game on MUSC Health Family Sunday. The RiverDogs will be wearing Cannon Street All-Stars jerseys for the game.
The RiverDogs continue their hunt for a fourth-consecutive Carolina League championship in 2024. The full schedule of games is available here.
Lynchburg 9, Charleston 6
June 22, 2024
Click here for the box score
Lynchburg (R-H-E): 9-11-2
Charleston (R-H-E): 6-14-1
Win: Parra (1-0)
Loss: Villaman (3-1)
Save:
HR: Lynchburg: Ralphy Velazquez (8, 1st inning, 1 on base)
HR: Charleston: Jhon Diaz (1, 1st inning, 0 on base)
