Hillcats deliver against Soxs ace Ranaudo

The last time the Hillcats faced Salem’s Anthony Ranaudo, the former LSU standout was lights out, holding Lynchburg to two hits in six scoreless innings. He looked every bit like the No. 2 prospect in Boston’s system.

The Hillcats made some adjustments Sunday night at City Stadium, and they pounded Ranaudo the second time they faced him. Ranaudo consistently fell behind in counts, and the middle of the Hillcats’ order made him pay. Hillcats cleanup hitter Joey Terdoslavich and five-hole hitter Joe Leonard combined to go 6-for-7 with six RBIs, and the bullpen made an early lead stand in a 10-5 victory.

“Tonight was a real good team effort,” Leonard said. “We hit the ball. We pitched well. We couldn’t be happier with tonight’s victory.”

On Saturday, the Hillcats wasted a fine effort from pitcher David Hale as the bullpen blew a 3-0 lead in the final two innings in a 6-3 loss. When Salem’s Vladimir Frias crushed a three-run home run in the fourth inning to erase another three-run Lynchburg lead, it looked like the same scenario would occur again Sunday.

But the Hillcats had an immediate answer. Andrelton Simmons hit a two-run double, Terdoslavich rapped a two-out RBI single and Leonard blasted a hanging Ranaudo changeup over the left-field fence to give the Hillcats a 9-4 lead.

“We score, they score and they keep coming,” Hillcats manager Luis Salazar said. “So many times, they’ve come from behind against us. Tonight, we go and put five more on the board, and the bullpen, they did their job today.”

The only blemish against the Hillcats’ bullpen duo of Andrew Wilson and Eliecer Cardenas was Miles Head’s sixth-inning solo home run. But Leonard answered that in the bottom half with a two-out RBI single that pushed the lead back to five runs.

In four innings, Wilson and Cardenas allowed a combined three hits, walked one and struck out eight. Wilson struck out the side in the seventh and Cardenas struck out three straight in the eighth after allowing a leadoff single.

Sunday’s game was the final meeting between the teams this season, and the Red Sox won the season series 13-7. The Hillcats took two of three in the final set to record their first series win against Salem this year.

Lynchburg is off today, but when the Hillcats return to the field in Frederick on Tuesday, Carolina League All-Star Todd Cunninghamwillbebackinthe leadoff spot after spending nearly two months on the disabled list. Cunningham injured his throwing elbow in June, and he spent four days rehabbing with the Gulf Coast League Braves this week. Salazar said Cunningham will split time between outfield and designated hitter when he returns.

The Hillcats lost a key piece of their starting rotation, though, when righthanderZekeSpruill earned a promotion to Double-A Mississippi. He’ll start for the M-Braves tonight in Jackson, Tenn. Spruill went 7-9 with a 3.19 ERA in 20 starts for the Hillcats, and he tied a team record by throwing five complete games.

Room opened in the Mississippi rotation when the Braves sent Brett Oberholtzer and Paul Clemens to Houston as part of a trade for outfielder Michael Bourn.

“He’s ready for the challenge,” Salazar said. “I’m happy for him, and hopefully he’ll do well.”