Eight extra-base hits by the Dash doomed the Hillcats in an early contest Wednesday in Winston-Salem, and Lynchburg walked away with its fifth consecutive loss, 9-2.
Joel Booker and Mitch Roman provided the bulk of the offense, accounting for six of the Dash’s 12 hits.
The Hillcats struck first, going up 1-0 in the second inning, but that lead quickly evaporated as Booker (3 for 5) got the scoring started for the Dash in the next frame.
Booker’s double, one of his two on the game, scored Ti’Quan Forbes and Roman, who reached on a single, and double, respectively. Booker later scored on a fielding error by Hillcats shortstop Luke Wakamatsu, who now has 13 errors on the season.
Booker also added a triple an inning later, when the Dash scored two more runs to go up 5-1, for his third RBI.
Not to be outdone was Roman, who went 3 for 4 with three doubles and three runs scored.
Blake Rutherford’s bases-clearing triple in the eighth capped the scoring for Winston-Salem (14-12).
Lynchburg, meanwhile, struggled to get its offense moving for most of the game.
Erlin Cerda accounted for the ’Cats’ first run with an RBI single. He added a double in the fifth and was one of three Hillcats to notch an extra-base hit.
Jodd Carter’s sacrifice fly scored Cerda in the fifth, but the Hillcats (12-13) went scoreless in the final four frames.
Mitch Longo (2 for 5) stretched his hit streak to 15 games, a Carolina League best. He and Logan Ice each also had doubles for Lynchburg.
Luis Martinez (1-1) picked up the win for Winston-Salem, allowing two runs, both earned, on six hits. He struck out six and walked two in five innings.
Martinez and relievers Matt Foster and Jose Ruiz combined to give up eight hits and strike out 12.
Hillcats starter Tanner Tully (1-2) struggled, allowing six runs, four earned, on 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out five and walked one.