Kinston loses in 10

Published in Sports on August 8, 2005 1:57 PM

• Print
• Email

KINSTON -- Lynchburg scored six runs in the final four frames and the Kinston bullpen blew a lead for the third time in five days when leading after seven as the Hillcats hung on for a 6-4 win in 10 innings before 2,843 fans at historic Grainger Stadium on Saturday night.

Lynchburg improved to 24-18 in the second half and 64-48 overall, while the K-Tribe dropped to 17-25 and 58-54.

Indians starter Scott Roehl was in complete control for the first six innings, and the offense got him a pair of early runs in the bottom of the second.

David Wallace got Kinston on the board with a hard-hit single that Lynchburg third baseman Avelino Asprilla couldn't handle as Mike Conroy scored from third, and Chris de la Cruz followed with a sacrifice fly to deep left to bring home Michael Butia with a 2-0 lead.

The K-Tribe then doubled-up in the fifth, as Rodney Choy Foo drew a leadoff walk from Hillcats starter (and former Indian) Derrick van Dusen, and Conroy crushed a two-run homer to right-center as Kinston extended the advantage to 4-0.

Things looked bright for the Indians at that point, but Roehl reached his pitch count after six shutout innings and the Lynchburg offense woke up at the expense of the K-Tribe relief corps.

Shea Douglas was the first man out of the bullpen and surrendered consecutive one-out singles to Mike McCuistion and Brandon Chaves before Asprilla lofted a three-run homer to left-center to pull the Hillcats within a run at 4-3. Matt Davis came on to work the eighth, but committed the cardinal sin of walking leadoff man (and another former Indian) Pat Magness. Vic Buttler advanced Magness to third with a one-out single, and McCuistion then tied it when he plopped a bleeder into short left field as Magness came in to score.

Lynchburg mounted the winning rally against Kyle Collins in the 10th.

A single and a hit batter put runners on first and second with one out, and Nyjer Morgan's grounder advanced the runners to second and third. Justin Harris then hit a slow roller to Choy Foo at third base, but the ball dribbled under his glove as both runners scored on the fielding error.

Stephen Head, Brian Barton and Wallace all had two hits for Kinston, while Conroy's homer was his sixth and Choy Foo reached base for the 13th consecutive game.

The Indians were off Sunday but begin a week-long road trip with four games in Myrtle Beach at 7:07 p.m. today.