Lynchburg 11, Winston-Salem 6

W: Julian Merryweather (4-0)
L: Colin Kleven (0-1)
S: None

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (April 26, 2016) – Winston-Salem dropped to 1-7 at home on the young season due to an 11-6 loss in Tuesday’s series opener against Lynchburg at BB&T Ballpark.
The Hillcats broke a 4-4 tie when Lynchburg catcher Daniel Salters smacked a two-run shot to left field off Dash right-hander Colin Kleven (0-1). After the Hillcats plated another run, Bobby Bradley capped off the inning with a two-run bomb off right-handed reliever Danny Dopico to make it 9-4.
Lynchburg added a run in the seventh and the eighth to put the game out of reach. Winston-Salem scored twice in the eighth to make it 11-6, but it was not enough in this series opener.
Hillcats’ starter Julian Merryweather (4-0) picked up the win, going six innings and allowing four runs (two earned). With the defeat, Winston-Salem falls to 1-7 at BB&T Ballpark this season.
Gerson Montilla provided the game’s first run with a solo home run off Julian Merryweather. The Dash third baseman finished the night 2-for-4, extending his hitting streak to seven games.
Winston-Salem starter Jordan Stephens did not allow a hit through the first three innings, but things changed for the right-hander in the fourth. With one out, Anthony Santander smacked his third home run of the season to center to tie the contest at one. Later in the frame, Lynchburg third baseman Taylor Murphy roped a two-out, two-run double down the right field line to put Lynchburg up 3-1.
Stephens worked out of a bases-loaded threat to limit further damage, but that would be all for the righty. He finished the night throwing four innings, allowing five hits and allowing three runs.
In Kleven’s first frame, the Hillcats pushed across a run bizarre fashion. With a runner on first and two outs, Mike Papi popped an RBI double to left that was lost in the lights. With Mason Robbins and Danny Mendick unable to find it, Lynchburg’s Bobby Bradley raced all the way from first to make it 4-1.
The Dash rallied in the bottom half of the fifth. With two on and two outs, Hunter Jones roped an RBI double to left to make it 4-2. Toby Thomas followed with a sharp smash to third that hit off the glove of Taylor Murphy and allowed two runs to score, evening the game at 4-4. Unfortunately, it would be all Hillcats the rest of the way.
Marcus Davis, who turned 24 on Tuesday, went 1-for-4. He has now hit safely in 12 out of his last 13 games. Hunter Jones extended his hitting streak to five with a 1-for-4 performance. Catcher Sean O’Connell and infielder Danny Mendick, who were called up from Low-A Kannapolis on Tuesday, both played and went a combined 1-for-5 with two walks.
The Dash return to BB&T Ballpark on Wednesday at 11 a.m. with the second of a three-game set against the Hillcats. Winston-Salem sends left-hander Blair Walters (1-0, 2.25 ERA) to the bump against fellow southpaw Sean Brady (1-1, 3.31 ERA). Fans can catch the game online at wsdash.com/broadcast, MiLB.tv or the TuneIn Radio App. The Pregame Dash starts at 10:45 a.m.
Tickets are still available for the Dash’s tilt with the Hillcats, and fans can purchase them by calling (336) 714-2287 or visiting wsdash.com.