RiverDogs Fall to Lynchburg in Series-Opening Slugfest

By: RiverDogs Media

Lynchburg, VA- The Charleston RiverDogs and Lynchburg Hillcats combined to score 12 runs on 21 hits in their series opener at Bank of the James Stadium on Tuesday. In the end, Lynchburg provided slightly more pop, earning a 7-5 victory. The RiverDogs are now 0-6 in Tuesday road games to open a series.

The second inning featured a pair of long balls, one for each side. In the top half of the frame, Ryan Spikes unloaded on an Adam Tulloch fastball and drove his fifth home run of the season over the right field wall. With Cooper Kinney on base, the long ball gave the RiverDogs a 2-0 lead. The advantage didn’t last long, with Lynchburg tying the game on Bubba Filia’s two-run home run in the bottom of the inning.

The Hillcats moved in front for the first time in the third. With two outs, Jose Devers drove a high fly ball to the right field warning track that evaded outfielder Oneill Manzueta for a triple. Maik Collado followed with a line drive single to make it 3-2 in Lynchburg’s favor.

The margin grew in the fourth inning when Lexer Saduy and Devers singled in the first two at-bats of the frame against Marcus Johnson. That brought Filia to the plate once again. The catcher blasted his second home run of the night over the batter’s eye in center field, extending the lead to 6-2 for the home team. Johnson allowed six runs on nine hits in 5.0 innings of work. The hit and run totals he allowed were both season-highs.

Coming up empty with the bases loaded in the fourth, the RiverDogs cut the deficit in half in the fifth. Christopher Barete led off with a base hit, and Xavier Isaac put two in scoring position when he followed with a double. Dominic Keegan’s hard groundball through the left side scored both and closed the gap to 6-4.

That score held until the eighth inning, when the RiverDogs put together a two-out rally. Spikes blasted his second home run of the game to make it 6-5. Jhon Diaz followed with a single and Manzueta walked to put two on for Barete. Miguel Vinicio went to a 2-2 count before striking out the nine-hitter to end the inning.

Saduy tacked on the final run of the game with a solo home run off Juan Rodriguez in the bottom of the eighth. In the final frame, the RiverDogs had the tying run at first base with one out, but Cooper Kinney popped out and Carlos Colmenarez struck out as the game concluded.

The RiverDogs outhit Lynchburg 11-10. Spikes became the first Charleston player with multiple home runs in a game this season, finishing 3-4 with two home runs and a double. Isaac, Keegan and Diaz each collected two hits. Filia ended his night with two home runs and five RBI for the Hillcats. Lynchburg also received a pair of hits from Saduy and Devers.

Drew Sommers relieved Johnson by tossing 2.0 scoreless, hitless frames with four strikeouts. The lefty has not allowed an earned run in 10 consecutive outings. Rodriguez allowed one run in his lone inning on the mound.

The RiverDogs will be seeking their first Wednesday win of the season in game two of the series. RHP Jonny Cuevas (2-5, 7.68) will take the ball for the RiverDogs against LHP Parker Messick (2-2, 3.40) of Lynchburg.

RiverDogs season tickets, flexible ticket plans, and group tickets, including options to the Segra Club at Riley Park, are available at riverdogs.com/tickets or by contacting the RiverDogs front office at 843-577-3647 (DOGS).

Lynchburg 7, Charleston 5

June 13, 2023

Click here for the box score

Charleston (R-H-E): 5-11-2
Lynchburg (R-H-E): 7-10-0

Win: Munoz (2-1)
Loss: Johnson (0-3)
Save: Reyes (1)

HR: Charleston: Ryan Spikes 2 (5, 2nd inning, 1 on base) (6, 8th inning, 0 on base)
HR: Lynchburg: Bubba Filia 2 (4, 2nd inning, 1 on base) (5, 4th inning, 2 on base), Lexer Saduy (2, 8th inning, 0 on base)

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