Hillcats game notes
Published on April 30, 2008 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Hill City Howlers News Release
MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS (15-10) @ LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (10-15)
APRIL 30th, 2008 -- 6:05 PM
Calvin Falwell Field @ Lynchburg City Stadium
LHP Tony Watson (1-3, 3.81) vs. RHP Tommy Hanson (0-2, 4.34)
THE HILLCATS: Lynchburg lost an early three-run lead and fell 8-6 to Myrtle Beach last night at City Stadium...The Cats have lost the first two games of this three-game series and have now dropped four in a row to the Pelicans...Tonight will be the third of 13 games in a row at home, the longest homestand in Hillcats history after playing 17 of their first 23 on the road...
VS. MYRTLE BEACH: Last season the Hillcats won the series series against the Pelicans 12-8...Myrtle Beach holds the all-time advantage 100-84 and are 46-44 against the Cats at City Stadium...
LOSING THE EARLY LEAD: In the first two games of the series the Hillcats have scored in the first inning to take an early advantage (they led 3-0 after two innings last night) only to see the Pelicans come back and win...The Cats have now blown six leads this season and are just 6-6 when scoring first...Last night was though the first time they have lost a lead they had after five inning of play...
PASSED TENSE: On Monday night C Steve Lerud allowed his first passed ball of the season in his 22nd game played...Lerud led all of professional baseball in passed balls last season (25 in 84 games) and in 2006 (35 in 97 games)...
COMING THROUGH IN THE CLUTCH: 3B Jim Negrych is tied for the lead-league with 19 RBI and 1B Kent Sakamoto is tied for fourth with 15...Negrych is batting an astounding .514 with men in scoring position and Sakamoto is hitting .361 in that same spot...
A NIGHT OF FIRSTS: On Friday night LHP Tony Watson earned his first victory of the year, RHP Adam Simon picked-up his first save as a Hillcat (making his Advanced-A debut), 1B Kent Sakamoto hit his first home run of the season (snapping an 0-16 skid) and the Hillcats recorded their first shutout victory of the season...
A NIGHT OF FIRSTS TAKE TWO: On Sunday afternoon RHP Matt McSwain recorded his first save of the season and 3B Jim Negrych and INF/OF Eddie Prasch both homered for the first time this year...It was the first appearance as a Hillcat for McSwain who was promoted earlier in the day from Low-A Hickory...
KEEPS ON ROLLING: 3B Jim Negrych continued his phenomenal start for the Cats by reaching safely for the 23rd time in 24 games played this year...He entered the day first in the league in hits (36), batting average (.391) and tied for first in RBI (19), second in on-base percentage (.456) and third in runs scored (17)...The former sixth round pick from 2006 has recorded 14 multi-hit games in 23 starts this season...
PEOPLE CAN CHANGE: INF and sometimes OF Eddie Prasch had played 336 games in four years as a professional entering this season and had never played any position other than third base before playing right field for five games on the Hillcats 11-game road trip...The Hillcats also currently have three other players (Jim Negrych, Angel Gonzalez and Jared Keel) who are playing a different position than they primarily played in 2007...Two of which (Negrych and Gonzalez) that had never before played the position they are playing this season as a professional...
CHANGING THINGS UP: Baseball America said LHP Tony Watson has the "Best Changeup" in the Pirates minor league system...The ninth round selection in the 2007 struckout 58 batters in 67.2 ip and walked just eight...
KNOWN FOR HIS "D": INF Brian Friday was named the "Best Defensive Infielder" in the Pirates minor league organization by Baseball America prior to the start of the 2008 season...Friday was a third round pick of the Pirates in last year's draft out of Rice University...He was a member of their World Series teams in 2006 and 2007, which finished third in the country...
Carolina League Stories from April 30, 2008
- Hillcats Hang On To Avoid Sweep With 3-2 Win - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Zimmermann overpowers Warthogs - Potomac Nationals
- Avs blank Indians - Salem RidgeYaks
- Salem Blanks K-Tribe 5-0 - Kinston Indians
- Warthogs Swept Again, Blanked By Potomac - Winston-Salem Dash
- Wilmington Avoids Sweep With Ninth-Inning Magic - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Roush Fenway Racing's No. 6 Car At Ballpark Thursday - Sunday - Salem RidgeYaks
- Late Blown Lead Negates Sweep Bid - Frederick Keys
- Hillcats game notes - Hill City Howlers
- Clint Everts returning to Potomac - Potomac Nationals
- Pelicans Game Notes - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Winston-Salem Warthogs Game Notes - Winston-Salem Dash
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