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Richmond Flying Squirrels

Flying Squirrels Game Notes at New Britain

August 14, 2012 - Eastern League (EL1)
Richmond Flying Squirrels News Release


Richmond Flying Squirrels (61-60) vs. New Britain Rock Cats (65-56)

Tuesday, August 14th -- 7:05 PM

The Diamond -- Richmond, VA

Game # 122 - Road Game # 62

Radio: Sports Radio 910 AM (6:35 PM) Internet: sportsradio910.com

LHP Mike Kickham (10-8, 2.61) vs. LHP Logan Darnell (8-10, 5.12)

SERIES AT A GLANCE: The Flying Squirrels will aim for their second straight win when they take on the New Britain Rock Cats in the opener of a three-game set at New Britain tonight. On Sunday night, Chris Heston took a no-hitter into the eighth inning and Juan Perez went 2-for-5 and drove in the only run of the game as the Flying Squirrels earned a 1-0 walk-off win over the Bowie Baysox in ten innings at The Diamond. With the win, Richmond avoided a sweep in the three-game set and now sits a game and a half behind Bowie in the race for the Western Division wild-card spot. Heston allowed just one hit and matched his career-high with 11 strikeouts in seven and 2/3 scoreless innings. Perez extended his current hit streak to 17 games, which ties him for the second-longest hit streak in the Eastern League this season. The Flying Squirrels own a league-best 13-2 record in games decided in extra innings this season. The Flying Squirrels went 8-7 against New Britain in 2011 including a 4-4 mark at The Diamond. Richmond is 19-19 all-time against the Rock Cats and the club is 8-9 all-time in the Hardware City. The two teams will meet 14 times in 2012, seven times in New Britain and seven times in Richmond. The Rock Cats claimed the opening series by winning three out of four games between the clubs at New Britain Stadium (4/5-4/7). Richmond won two out three from the Rock Cats at The Diamond (4/27-4/29). New Britain swept Richmond in a four-game series at The Diamond (6/22-6/25).

TODAY'S PITCHERS: LHP Mike Kickham vs. LHP Logan Darnell Kickham: Makes his twenty-fourth start of the season for the Flying Squirrels tonight. In his last start, Kickham tossed seven no-hit innings, along with two walks and eight strikeouts against Harrisburg August 2. Kickham earned his tenth win of the season in Richmond's 6-0 triumph in a combined one-hitter over the Senators. Tonight's game will be Kickham's first career start against New Britain. Kickham is currently second in the Eastern League in opponents' batting average (.210) and he ranks third in the circuit in ERA (2.61). He is also third in the league in walks (65) and fifth in strikeouts (113). 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 an 15-18 record with a 3.39 ERA in 47 career minor league appearances, including 44 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 for a $410,000 bonus.

Darnell: Makes his twenty-fourth start of the season for New Britain tonight. In his last start, Darnell matched a season-high by allowing 11 hits along with five earned runs, three walks and one strikeout in 5.2 innings pitched at Binghamton Thursday. He took the loss in New Britain's 6-4 setback. Tonight's game will be his fifth career start against the Flying Squirrels. Darnell is 3-1 with a 4.24 ERA against Richmond. He boasts a career record of 21-19 with a 4.42 ERA in 60 appearances, including 54 starts. He was selected by the Twins in the sixth round of the 2010 June Draft out of the University of Kentucky.

MR. CLUTCH: Juan Perez' walk-off RBI single in Sunday's 1-0 win over Bowie was his fourth game-winning hit in extra-innings contests this season. Perez hit a two-run walk-off home run against New Britain in Richmond's 5-4 win over the Rock Cats in 13 innings April 27. He also hit a walk-off RBI single in Richmond's 5-4 victory over Portland in ten innings on June 17 and delivered the game-winning RBI single in the top of the 15th inning in Richmond's 7-6 win over Erie on July 26. The Flying Squirrels' outfielder has now hit safely in 17 consecutive games, which ties Matt Den Dekker, formerly of Binghamton, for the second-longest hit streak in the Eastern League this season. Perez is batting .391 (27-for-69) with three home runs, four doubles, three triples and 12 RBIs over the course of the streak.

EXTRA, EXTRA: Richmond's 1-0 triumph over Bowie in 10 innings on Sunday night was the club's 13th extra-innings win this season, which leads the Eastern League. Additionally, with a record of 13-2, Richmond owns the league's best winning percentage in extra-innings games this season (. 867). With a record of 9-5, Trenton has the circuit's next highest winning percentage in extra-innings games (.643) in 2012.

HESTO PRESTO: Flying Squirrels starter Chris Heston tossed 7.2 hitless innings and matched his career-high with 11 strikeouts before allowing a single to Zelous Wheeler in Sunday's win over Bowie. It was the second time in the recently completed home stand that Richmond's pitching staff took a no-hitter into the eighth inning. Mike Kickham tossed seven no-hit innings against Harrisburg August 8 before leaving the ballgame and Richmond reliever Tom Vessella retired the first two batters he faced in the eighth inning before giving up a double to Jose Lozada. The Flying Squirrels have yet to record a no-hitter since their inception in 2010.

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