The Lynchburg Hillcats had finally broken through offensively, it seemed, finding a way to get the bats going early Thursday against the Dash in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
That all changed once the fourth inning came to a close, though, and the Dash picked up where the Hillcats left off, using two home runs to sweep the series and hand Lynchburg its sixth straight loss, 5-3.
After scoring three runs — one each in the first, third and fourth innings — on nine hits, the ’Cats’ bats went silent. They didn’t pick up another hit all night.
Li-Jen Chu provided two RBIs for the Hillcats (12-14), one on a single in the first and the other on a double to center in the third.
Conner Capel scored on both of those occasions, reaching first on a fielder’s choice and subsequently on a single.
The Hillcats’ fourth-inning score was courtesy of Luke Wakamatsu, who singled to lead off the frame and came home when Erlin Cerda grounded into a double play.
Mitch Longo also singled in the inning for one of his two hits, and he stretched his hit streak to 16 games.
Jose Medina had two hits for the Hillcats, as well.
Down 3-1 in the fifth, Luis Alexander Basabe gave the Dash (15-12) three runs — including the go-ahead and eventual game-winning run — on his homer to right-center field.
Micker Adolfo’s two-out solo homer in the eighth, off Hillcats reliever Dalbert Siri, capped the scoring for Winston-Salem.
In his fifth start, Hillcats righty Justin Garza (2-1) took his first loss, allowing four runs (three earns) on six hits. He struck out four and walked two.
Drew Hasler (1-0) got the win, giving up three hits and just one run in three innings of relief. He also walked two and struck out two.