Minor leagues

By Steve Roush
Published in Sports on June 15, 2006 2:19 PM

• Print
• Email

Hillcats take two from Tribe

KINSTON -- It was a doubleheader sweep Wednesday night at Grainger Stadium as Lynchburg beat Kinston 7-4 and 5-0.

Kinston took a 4-2 lead into the final frame of Game 1 of the twinbill, but couldn't hang on as Lynchburg scored two in the top of the seventh and three in the 11th to upend the K-Tribe.

The game was originally scheduled to be a seven-inning contest, but Mike Carlin's two run homer in the top of the seventh tied it at four.

A walk, an error and two straight singles by the Hillcats in the top of the 11th, led to three more runs and a 7-4 final score. Ryan Knippschild was saddled with his first blown save of the year as T.J. Burton (0-3) took the loss.

Game 2 of the doubleheader was all Lynchburg as the Hillcats scored two batters into the game when Brian Bixler singled home Pedro Powell.

The Hillcats would add three more runs in the second inning, with four straight hits to lead off the inning.

With the sweep Lynchburg moved two games ahead of both Wilmington and Potomac for first place in the Carolina League Northern Division with just four games to go in the first half.

Scott Roehl picked up the loss for Kinston.

Kinston and Lynchburg will meet in game four of the four-game series tonight at Grainger Stadium. Kevin Dixon takes the mound for the K-Tribe in the 7 p.m. contest.

SOUTHERN LEAGUE

Barons 2, Mudcats 1

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Ray Liotta tossed his longest start of the season to snap a two-month winless drought as Birmingham edged Carolina 2-1 at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

Liotta (2-6) pitched 7 1/3 innings, permitting only an RBI-single to Edgar Gonzalez in the sixth as he won for the first time since April 11.

Despite the Mudcats' third straight loss, Anibal Sanchez outpitched Liotta for the duration of his outing. Sanchez whiffed a season-high 10 batters, walking three and pitching six scoreless innings.

Sanchez, who was looking for his first win since April 27 over Chattanooga, stranded seven baserunners over the first four innings. Sanchez authored his fifth career start with 10-plus strikeouts, and overtook the league lead from his teammate Paul Mildren with 86.

Christopher Young (3-2) relieved Sanchez to start the seventh, attempting to guard a 1-0 lead, but the Barons (30-37) touched him for a pair of runs. Darren Blakely grounded home Michael Myers from third, then Chris Getz scored on a two-out single by Ricardo Nanita to put Birmingham ahead.

The Mudcats (30-37) bounced into three double plays, and were closed out by Barons reliever B.J. LaMura, who recorded the final five outs for the save.

INTERNATIONAL

Knights 2, Red Barons 1

MOOSIC, Pa. (AP) -- Held to one hit through the first eight innings, the Charlotte Knights got three hits and two runs in the ninth to beat the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons 2-1 on Wednesday in the International League.

Red Barons starter Adam Bernero carried a one-hitter into the ninth but gave up a leadoff single to Jerry Owens and an RBI double to Jorge Verlandia, who went to third on the throw home.