The Lynchburg Hillcats began the 2018 campaign with a seven-game home stand before hitting the road to visit the Wilmington Blue Rocks.
Lynchburg (3-5) opened the season with split of the four-game series against the Down East Wood Ducks including a win in the home opener with a 1-0 victory on April 5. Starter Sam Hentges lasted four innings and gave up only one hit and two walks without allowing a run. Anderson Polanco picked up the win after pitching two innings of shutout baseball.
The Hillcats followed up with an 8-1 loss on April 6 and a 4-2 loss on an April 8 makeup game as part of a doubleheader after the previous night’s game was postponed due to weather. Lynchburg finished the series with another 1-0 win in the second game of the April 8 doubleheader. Justin Garza pitched five scoreless innings to earn the victory. He gave up just two hits and one walk while striking out seven.
Buies Creek came to town on April 9 for a three-game set and the Astros took the first two games of the series with a 12-5 victory and a 4-0 win. Lynchburg was able to grab the last game of the series with a 7-3 victory. Hentges pitched six innings and gave up one earned run, no walks, and five hits while striking out five.
The Hillcats hit the road for the first time this season and took a 4-2 loss on April 12 at Wilmington. Hillcats starter Zach Plesac did not allow a hit through five innings and pitched six strong innings in total allowing just one run and one hit and four walks in a no-decision. Plesac was a 12th Round pick of the Indians in 2016 and is the nephew of former MLB pitcher Dan Plesac.
So far, outfielder Trenton Brooks is leading the Hillcats on offense with a .333/.429/.417 slash including a double and two RBI in four games. After two starts, Hentges is 1-0 with a 0.90 ERA in 10 innings allowing just earned run and six hits along with nine strikeouts and two walks.
Lynchburg will also finish the four-game set tonight at 7:05 p.m. followed by games scheduled for 6:05 p.m. on Saturday and 1:35 p.m. on Sunday.
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