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Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes

September 8, 2012 - Carolina League (CarL) Lynchburg Hillcats

LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (72-68, 2-1) vs WINSTON-SALEM DASH (87-51, 2-1)

September 8th, 2012 -- 7:00 PM

BB&T Ballpark

RHP Michael Lee (3-3, 3.93) vs RHP Steve McCray (9-3, 3.30)

THE HILLCATS: The Hillcats clinched the Northern Division Championship last night with a 2-1 victory over the Wilmington Blue Rocks...MLB rehabber Andrelton Simmons tied the game at 1-1 with a solo homer in the fourth inning...C Braeden Schlehuber then broke the tie with solo blast in the eighth...RHP Juan Jamie entered in the ninth, walked one and struck out two on his way to the save...The Hillcats advanced to the Mills Cup Championship with the win, which begins tonight in Winston-Salem...

VS. WINSTON-SALEM: Lynchburg split the regular season series 10-10 against the Dash...They went 4-6 in Winston-Salem, splitting the most recent series 2-2, and losing both three-game sets 2-1...They met 20 times this year, and six times went to extra innings...Played a 13 inning game August 29 that lasted four hours and two minutes; longest Hillcats game this season...The 'Cats won 8-5...

PAST PLAYOFFS: The Hillcats are 9-3 in playoff series play...They just beat the Blue Rocks for the fourth time (4-0)...The 'Cats have gone on to win the Mills Cup two out of three times so far, after beating th Blue Rocks for the Northern Division Crown (2002, 2009)...The one time they didn't go on to win the Cup was in 2003 when they were swept in three games by Winston-Salem...That was the only time that the Hillcats have met Winston-Salem in the postseason...

SDCS RECAP: The Dash beat the Myrtle Beach Pelicans 2-1 for the Southern Division Championship...After dropping game one, the Dash won the next two, including a 9-0 romp in the finals, to take the series...All three games were in Winston-Salem...OF Courtney Hawkins went 3-for-12 with two home runs--including a game-tying blast, in the seventh inning of game two-- in the series...The 18 year old was drafted in the first round earlier this season...RHP Chris Bassitt led the Dash to the clinching win by tossing seven scoreless innings last night...

HILLCATS GET ML REHAB: Atlanta Braves SS Andrelton Simmons is 2-for-8, with a home run, an RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base since beginning his rehab assignment with the Hillcats Thursday night...He made his major league debut June 2 this season...Was named the National League Rookie of the Month for June (.333, 3 HR, 14 RBIs)...He broke his finger diving into second base July 8 and hasn't been back with Atlanta since...Simmons was honored by his coaches as the Hillcats' co-MVP in 2011...He also won the Carolina League batting title (.311) and was a mid-season and year-end All-Star...Simmons continues his rehab with 'Cats this weekend in Winston-Salem...

GOOD TIME FOR A FIRST TIME: RHP Aaron Northcraft finished the regular season with three quality starts, and continued that success into the postseason last night giving up just one run in six and two-thirds innings...He exited with the score tied 1-1, but the Hillcats would go on to win 2-1, accomplishing something the 'Cats did not do all season long; win a game Northcrafts starts, without Northcraft getting the win...The Hillcats were 10-17 when he started this season, his record was 10-11...

SCHLE HELLO! TO MY...: C Braeden Schlehuber went 1-for-3 last night a solo homer in the eighth that proved to be the game-winner...It was his first home run since June 14 this season...He went 44 games and 159 at-bats between blasts...This was after hitting eight long balls in the first half, which surpassed his previous season-high of five homers in a single season...

JAMIE THROWING HEAT: RHP Juan Jamie lit up the radar gun at 99 MPH last night (he hit 100 MPH last weekend in Myrtle Beach) in his one inning save...He struck out two and walked one in a scoreless inning...Jamie walked at least one and struck out at least one batter in 23 of his 42 appearances during the regular season...He's now one of one in save opportunities in the postseason, after converting 18 of 18 during the regular season...He finished with the second most saves in the Carolina League...

TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER: RHP Steve McCray was selected in the 16th round in 2010 out of University of Tennessee...Drafted in the 34th round in 2006 by Tampa Bay but went to Young Harris College...Drafted in the 50th round in 2007 by St. Louis, but stayed in school...Led Young Harris College to first ever NJCAA World Series in 2007...Prior to 2009, transferred to University of Tennessee...Spent last two seasons in Rookie-Level Great Falls...Compiled 9-6 record with a 3.68 ERA in 34 games (15 starts)...Recorded two saves in his first season with 92 strikeouts to 32 walks...He went 9-3 this season with a 3.30 ERA in 25 games, 17 starts for the Dash...In six appearances, four starts, vs Lynchburg, he is 3-1 with a 3.58 ERA...Has allowed just one run over 13 innings in his last two starts against the 'Cats...

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Carolina League Stories from September 8, 2012


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