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Richmond Flying Squirrels

Flying Squirrels Game Notes Vs. Altoona

April 19, 2012 - Eastern League (EL1)
Richmond Flying Squirrels News Release


Richmond Flying Squirrels (7-7) vs. Altoona Curve (5-7)

Thursday, April 19th -- 6:30 PM

Peoples Natural Gas Field -- Altoona, PA

Game # 15 - Road Game # 8

Radio: Sports Radio 910 AM (6:00 PM) Internet: sportsradio910.com

LHP Mike Kickham (1-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Brandon Cumpton (0-2, 4.76)

SERIES AT A GLANCE: The Flying Squirrels will be seeking their second straight win when they take on the Altoona Curve in the series opener of a four-game series at Peoples Natural Gas Field tonight. Ryan Cavan went 1-for-3 and smacked a two-run home run to lift Richmond past Reading 2-1 in the finale of a three-game series at The Diamond yesterday. Chris Heston (1-1) allowed four hits and one earned run along with a walk and four strikeouts in six innings pitched for Richmond. Brett Bochy and Daryl Maday combined to toss three innings of scoreless relief and Maday picked up his fourth save for the Flying Squirrels, who climbed back to .500 (7-7) with the win. The Flying Squirrels went 9-8 against Altoona in 2011 including a 5-6 mark in Altoona.

Richmond is 22-25 all-time against the Curve and the club is 14-11 all-time in the River City. The two teams will meet 21 times in 2012, 14 times in Altoona and 7 times in Richmond. Richmond won three of the first four games between the two teams last weekend at The Diamond. Following this four-game series, the Flying Squirrels will not return to Richmond until May 4th-6th.

TODAY'S PITCHERS: LHP Mike Kickham vs. RHP Brandon Cumpton Kickham: Makes his third start of the season for the Flying Squirrels tonight. In his last start, Kickham allowed tossed six scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and three walks along with six strikeouts against Altoona Saturday. He earned the victory over Brandon Cumpton and the Curve in Richmond's 1-0 shutout. Kickham has yet to allow an earned run this season. Last season, Kickham went 5-10 and posted a 4.11 ERA in 21 starts with Low-A Augusta. He entered the 2012 season ranked as the #20 prospect in the Giants farm system. As a professional, Kickham owns a 6-10 record with a 3.93 ERA in 26 career minor league appearances, including 23 starts. Kickham enjoyed a successful,albeit brief, career at Missouri State University, where he finished fifth in school history in single-season strikeouts (106) and won the team's Dave Dickensheet Pitcher-of-the-Year award in his lone season with the Bears. The St. Louis, MO native was selected by the Giants in the sixth round of the 2010 June Draft as a draft-eligible sophomore. He signed with San Francisco after the Giants for a $410,000.

Cumpton: Makes his third start of the season tonight. In his last start, Cumpton allowed just one earned run - Johnny Monell's solo home run - and four hits along with a walk and four strikeouts in seven innings pitched against Richmond. He was the tough-luck loser in Altoona's 1-0 setback. The right-hander is in his first season with the Curve after splitting the 2011 season between Low-A West Virginia and Advanced-A Bradenton. He began the season with West Virginia and went 7-4 with a 4.30 ERA in 13 appearances, including 12 starts with the Power. Following a midseason promotion, Cumpton compiled a 3-3 mark with 3.66 ERA in 13 appearances, including 12 starts. Cumpton began his pro career with Short-Season-A State College in 2010 and went 0-1 with a 2.53 ERA in four appearances, including three starts. He has a career record of 10-10 with a 3.94 ERA in 32 appearances, including 29 starts. Cumpton was selected by the Pirates in the ninth round of the 2010 June Draft out of Georgia Tech.

THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA: Second baseman Ryan Cavan launched his first Double-A home run yesterday to help lift Richmond to a 2-1 win over Reading. The 24-year-old went 8-for-23 (.348) during the Flying Squirrels seven-game home stand including going 4-for-11 in three games against the R-Phils. Three of his eight hits went for extra bases including a pair of doubles and his two-run homer. Cavan drove in three runs and scored three runs while also walking twice. The San Mateo, CA, native has hits in nine of his last 10 games with three multi-hit performances and is 12-for-34 (.353) at the plate over that span. Cavan - who hit 12 home runs and drove in a career-high 90 runs with Advanced-A San Jose in 2011 - was selected in the 16th round of the 2009 June draft out of UC-Santa Barbara.

DOG FIGHTS: The Flying Squirrels edged the Reading Phillies 2-1 in the series finale Wednesday to even the club's record at 7-7. Of Richmond's seven wins, six have come by two runs or less including four one-run wins. The club's only win by more than two runs was a 7-3 victory over the Altoona Curve in the Squirrels 2012 home opener last Thursday. The team's average margin of victory through the first two weeks of the season is 1.71 while the club's average margin of defeat is 4.86 including a franchise-worst 13-run loss (19-6) to Reading on Tuesday night.

ONE WAY OR THE OTHER: Through the first two weeks of the season, the score after the fifth inning has determined whether or not the Flying Squirrels will win or lose. The club is 7-0 when leading after five innings including yesterday's 2-1 win over Reading. Meanwhile, the club is 0-6 when trailing after five innings. The team has been tied after five innings once and ended up falling to the R-Phils 5-3 on Monday night.

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