SALEM AVALANCHE (2-8, 43-36) @ LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (7-5, 36-43) JULY 3rd, 2007 -- 7:05 PM
CALVIN FALWELL FIELD AT LYNCHBURG CITY STADIUM
LHP CHRIS SALAMIDA (5-3, 3.82) vs. RHP LUIS VALDEZ (2-3, 5.79)
THE HILLCATS...continue a six-game homestand with the opening game of a three-game series against their Central Virginia rivals, the Salem Avalanche...Were dealt a 10-3 setback last night in the rubber-match of a series against the Potoamac Nationals...Have allowed 10 or more runs in consecutive games for the first time this season...Are in the midst of playing 12 of 15 games at City Stadium to begin the half...Are 7-5 to begin that stretch...Over a longer stretch, are just 9-19 (.321) in their last 28 games...Are currently two-games behind the surging Wilmington Blue Rocks for first place in the second-half Northern Division race...
THE AVALANCHE...Were swept this weekend in a three-game series in Wilmington and are just 2-8 (.200) to begin the half...Finished the first half by winning 21 of their final 27 games (.778)...Have scored just 19 runs ( 2.4/game) in their eight losses this half...Are without the services of OF Josh Flores and INF Tommy Manzella, who were both promoted to Double-A Corpus Christi to begin the second half ...Are hitting .270 as a team (2nd in the CL) while posting a collective 3.50 ERA (3rd in CL)...
2007 vs. SALEM: Salem has dominated the season series, holding an 8-2 edge...Salem captured the 2006 season series, 12 games to 8...Overall, the Avalanche have a significant edge in the lifetime series 129-113 (.533) although the Hillcats have posted a 65-56 (.537) mark in 121 all-time match-ups at City Stadium...
TRANSACTIONS: RHP Dustin Molleken (see page 6) was promoted from Short-Season State College to Lynchburg today...The 22-year-old right-hander went 1-0 with a 1.08 ERA to begin the year with the Spikes...Yesterday, RHP Derek Hankins was promoted to Double-A Altoona and made the start in a 6-4 loss to the Bowie Baysox...Hankins went 3.2 innings, allowed six runs and took the loss in his Double-A debut...
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: OF Brad Corley was named CL Offensive Player of the Week yesterday...The slugger batted 12-29, .414-3-11 during the stretch and hit safely in all seven games...
SEASON-LONG STREAK: OF Brad Corley extended his hit streak to a 2007 team-best 15 games with a 5th inning single last night...He is batting 24-60, .400-3-14 during the streak....He is also tied for the league lead with 54 RBIs...The slugger led all Pirates' farmhands with 100 RBIs last season...
STREAK SNAPPED: 2B Shelby Ford had a nine-game hitting streak come to an end by going 0-for-4 last night... He batted 16-40, .400-0-10 over the stretch...
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