Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes
Published on May 3, 2012 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Hill City Howlers News Release
CAROLINA MUDCATS (12-13) VS LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (14-10)
May 3rd, 2012 -- 11:00 AM
Calvin Falwell Field at Lynchburg City Stadium
LHP Mike Rayl (2-3, 3.25) vs. RHP Cody Martin (3-2, 3.38)
THE HILLCATS: Last night, the Hillcats lost 5-2 to the Carolina Mudcats...Lynchburg scored one in the second inning, and another in third on a solo home run from C Braeden Schlehuber...The Mudcats went on to score five unanswered after that...They took advantage of five Hillcats errors throughout the rest of the game...LHP Ronan Pacheco (0-3) took the loss in relief giving up three runs, two earned in the top of the seventh...The win went to LHP Kyle Petter (1-1) who threw the sixth and seventh innings scoreless for Carolina, and RHP Jose Flores blanked the Hillcats in the ninth to record his fifth save in five opportunities this season...Lynchburg is now 14-10 and remain in first place in the Carolina League Northern Division...
VS. CAROLINA: The Hillcats are 2-5 against the Mudcats this year...This is the inaugural Carolina League season for the Mudcats...They make their first trip to the "Hill City" this week...The Mudcats were the Double-A affiliate for the Cincinnati Reds last year and are now the Advanced-A affiliate for the Cleveland Indians (2011, Kinston Indians)...Last year, the Hillcats went 6-13 against Kinston...
THIS TEAM IS TOUGH: The Mudcats snapped Lynchburg's three-game winning streak beating the Hillcats 5-2 in Monday's suspended game...It was the second-longest streak for Lynchburg this season (started 5-0)...Carolina has had the Hillcats' number thus far winning five of the seven match-ups...They are the only team thus far with a winning record against Lynchburg...They are responsible to half of the Hillcats' losses so far this season...
GOOD BYE GATTIS: C Evan Gattis was officially activated for Double-A Mississippi Tuesday night, and made his Double-A debut in Mobile, AL against the Bay Bears...Went 1-for-4 with two RBI...Gattis hit .385 with nine home runs, 29 RBI, 14 runs scored, and seven doubles in 21 games for the Hillcats...His numbers certainly warranted a promotion, but it still came in conjunction with C Christian Bethancourt hitting the DL for Mississippi...
PARTY OF FIVE: The number five became a theme last night as the Carolina Mudcats score five unanswered runs from the fifth inning on, to win 5-2...Meanwhile, the Hillcats committed a season-high five errors in the game, all five of which were throwing errors...Three of the errors were charged to 3B Edward Salcedo, so three E-5s...We've also just entered the fifth month of the year...The score of each game this series has been 5-2, and now four of seven games have been decided by that score this season between the Hillcats and Mudcats...Six of those seven games have seen one of the teams score exactly five runs...
TERRIBLE TIMING: CF Matt Lipka went 1-for-3 with a walk, a run scored, and a stolen base in Monday's suspended game...He now has 19 runs scored on the season, which is tied for fourth-most in the Carolina League...He's two behind teammate Nick Ahmed who is tied for the league lead with 21...Lipka extended his current hit-streak to six games Tuesday night, in the suspended portion of Monday's game...He is 10-for-24 in that span with a double and nine runs scored...He did not play in game two Tuesday night after leaving game one early...In his last at-bat he took a pitch off his hand while attempting to bunt...He stayed in to finish the at-bat and blooped a single into right-center, continuing his streak...He didn't return on defense after that...He missed last night's game as well, but took batting practice pain-free and is back in the lineup for the finale...
SLUMP SNAPPING: SS Nick Ahmed snapped an 0-for-13 stretch when the suspended game resumed Tuesday night with double in the fifth inning...He is 3-for-9 with two doubles since breaking the slump...Went 0-for-5 with five strikeouts last Saturday after an 0-for-4 night on Friday...Was given his first day off of the season on Sunday, but ended up coming in as a defensive sub late in the game...Against Carolina this year, Ahmed is hitting .360 (9-for-25) with two doubles, six runs scored, two RBI, and five walks...Also 2-for-2 stealing bases...Others seeing success against the Mudcats are 1B Chris Garcia, hitting .455 (10-for-22) with a home run, four RBI, and eight walks, and C Braeden Schlehuber, hitting .467 (7-for-15) with two home runs, four RBI and three runs scored...
TODAY'S OPPOSING PITCHER: LHP Mike Rayl was selected by the Indians in the 15th round of the 2009 draft out of Palm Beach Community College...Made professional debut in the Arizona League in 2009 (1-2, 3.74)...Named organizational all-star in 2011....Named to Midwest League All-Star Team in 2011with Low-A Lake County Captains...Named MID "Pitcher of the Week" twice in 2011...Pitched part of last season with Kinston (1-3, 4.61)...Did not face Lynchburg...Last season struck out 121 and walked just 26 in 123.2 IP between LC and KIN...Has advanced a level mid-season for the last two seasons...Pitched five innings against the Hillcats last week at home...Allowed one run on a solo homer to C Ryan Query, walked three and struck out five...He is 2-3 with a 3.25 ERA through five starts this season...
Carolina League Stories from May 3, 2012
- Sox Get Split as Rocks Shut Down Again - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Red Sox Sneak Past Blue Rocks 2-1 - Salem RidgeYaks
- Aguilar Stays Hot in Mudcats' Victory - Carolina Mudcats
- Keye Hit: Nationals Win 6-5 - Potomac Nationals
- Aguilar's Bat Too Much for the Hillcats - Hill City Howlers
- Buckel Shuts out Keys, 4-0 - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Winston-Salem Dash: Nats Edge Winston-Salem to Earn Split - Winston-Salem Dash
- Buckel, Pelicans Blank Keys 4-0 - Frederick Keys
- Watch the Dash on TV this Season - Winston-Salem Dash
- Mudcats Game Notes - May 3 - Carolina Mudcats
- Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Hill City Howlers
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