FREDERICK, MD – Tied at two in the bottom of the twelfth inning with two outs, a botched play from Lynchburg center fielder Mycal Jones allowed the Keys’ winning run to score as Frederick upended Lynchburg 3-2 to send 4,382 fans into instant jubilation.
With Mike Flacco reaching on an error in the deciding twelfth inning, Jeremy Nowak came to the plate with two outs and Flacco at first base. Nowak singled up the middle, but Jones misplayed the ball in center as it deflected off of his arm, allowing Flacco to round third base and head into home safely.
The two errors from the Hillcats allowed the Keys to get into the win column and improve to 20-23 in the second half of the year, just one game back of first place Wilmington.
The two errors were the only ones committed by Lynchburg on the night and they would prove lethal.
The Hillcats’ misfortune allows reliever Ryan Berry (2-4, 3.10 ERA) to get the win while Andrew Wilson (1-2, 1.54 ERA) gets the tough-luck loss.
Lynchburg led early in the contest after Dan Brewer hit a two-run home run off of Matt Bywater in the third inning to provide the Hillcats an early 2-0 lead.
Yet that’s all they would score on the night. Tyler Townsend allowed Frederick to tie it up in the fifth as he doubled down the right field line with two runners on base, bringing them both home to knot the score at two apiece.
The two teams would go scoreless the rest of the way – a span of six and a half innings – until the twelfth inning of play.
The Keys have now won four in a row against Lynchburg and will try to clinch the series tomorrow night when Baseball America’s number one overall prospect in Dylan Bundy (5-3, 2.57 ERA) takes the mound against LHP Dimasther Delgado (6-5, 3.68 ERA).
First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 PM and live coverage starts at 6:40 PM on 1450-AM The Source and online at WTHU.org.
