The Charleston RiverDogs used early offense and 6.1 no-hit innings from Jayden Voelker to lead early, but the Lynchburg Hillcats scored four times in the ninth inning to secure a 6-4 win on Tuesday night in front of 3,036 fans at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.
The defeat marks the first of the second half for the RiverDogs (3-1, 38-32 overall) and snaps the team’s win streak at six.
The RiverDogs offense scored early and often against Hillcats starter Melkis Hernandez.
In the second inning, Woo Shin worked a walk and Ricardo Gonzalez floated a single before swiping second, setting up Yirer Garcia with two runners in scoring position. He capitalized and smoked a ground ball single up the middle of the diamond, past the outstretched glove of Hillcats infielders to score both runners to put Charleston up 2-0.
In the very next inning, Charleston struck again.
Connor Hujsak launched a towering fly ball to right field that proved tricky for Hillcats outfielder Jose Pirela, who stumbled on his route and couldn’t make the play. The ball dropped and Hujsak raced all the way to third for his team-leading fifth triple of the season.
Garcia continued his hot night in the fourth with another RBI single to push the lead to 4-0.
On the other side of the scorebook, Voelker faced the minimum through four innings and worked around two walks to keep Lynchburg without a hit through six.
The Hillcats broke the no-hitter and the shutout in the top of the seventh inning.
Jeffrey Mercedes softly lifted a single over the head of Garcia with one out to break the no-hit bid. Mercedes advanced to second on a wild pitch, and he scored on a line-drive double from Bennett Thompson. Ryan Cesarini singled in the very next at-bat to slice the RiverDog lead in half to 4-2. Voelker’s night ended there, and Kaleb Corbett came in relief to stop the bleeding.
Voelker finished his night with 6.2 innings pitched, allowing three hits, two earned runs, and two walks while striking out four.
The Hillcats bullpen responded after starter Hernandez exited after 3.2 innings and held the RiverDogs to only four hits and no runs over the final 5.1 innings.
Lynchburg completed their comeback bid in the ninth.
Two straight singles opened up the frame for the Hillcats. Cesarini followed with a third straight, driving in Luis Merejo from second to cut the lead to 4-3. Theo Gillen overran the ball in center, allowing Bennett Thompson to reach third and Cesarani to advance to second.
After Rodriguez bounced back with a lineout, Christopher Espinola popped a sac fly to center to knot the game at four.
Jose Pirela delivered the back breaker, bashing a go-ahead RBI triple into the right field corner to put Lynchburg in front 5-4. A Nick Mitchell RBI single pushed the advantage to 6-4 before Bryce Shaffer closed the frame.
Hujsak attempted to rally the ‘Dogs in the ninth with his second triple of the night, but he was left stranded on third as Luis Flores closed the door on a potential RiverDog response.
Ballpark Fun: Tonight marked another Dog Day Tuesday, and it was a celebration of Spaniels, the state dog of South Carolina. Colonies of cockers, kings, and springers came in droves to The Joe to get a taste of what Minor League Baseball has to offer. Pups competed in an obstacle course, with a special prize given to the winner. The highlight of the in-game competitions was a peanut butter eating contest between two dogs, where the victor won their section free Dairy Queen. There was also plenty of videoboard recognition of various cute and cuddly canine companions on the concourse.
The RiverDogs return to action on Wednesday night, with first pitch set for 7:05 pm. This week’s Wild Card Wednesday theme, presented by Wicked Weed, is Kids Eat Free, as kids 12 and under will be presented with a voucher for a free hot dog and chips. Tickets are available at RiverDogs.com. For an enhanced experience, tickets to the inclusive, air-conditioned Segra Club are available.