Hillcats Game Notes for August 23
Published on August 23, 2009 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Hill City Howlers News Release
LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (23-31, 68-55) vs. WINSTON-SALEM DASH (26-27, 64-57) August 23rd, 2009 -- 5:05 PM @ Lynchburg City Stadium Game One: LHP Rudy Owens (1-1, 2.51) vs. RHP Jacob Rasner (3-5, 4.49) Game Two: RHP Matt McSwain (9-8, 3.69) vs. RHP Levi Maxwell (4-13, 4.62)
THE HILLCATS: Lynchburg lost 3-1 in 13 innings last night in game two of their four-game series with Winston-Salem...The Hillcats had won three games in a row and four out of five...The Cats are in the midst of 17 out of 20 games at Calvin Falwell Field...Tonight they play games three and four of this set with the Dash and continue an eight-game homestand...
VS. WINSTON-SALEM: This season the Hillcats have a 9-6 record against the Dash and are 5-3 at home...Lynchburg holds the all-time advantage in the series with Winston-Salem 152-141, and they are 95-64 in the Hill City...The Cats and the Dash were both first half champions and have secured a spot in the 2009 Carolina League playoffs...
SOUTHERN FOES: This series against Winston-Salem is the last of six series in a row (20 games) against a Southern Division opponent for Lynchburg...Thus far they are 9-9 over this time and they are 40-31 versus the division on the year...Prior to this current string of games against the South, the Cats played four straight series (13 games) against the Northern Division...
STARTIN' TO HEAT UP: In the month of August the Hillcats starters are posting a 3.00 ERA in 20 games (33 earned runs in 99 innings)...In the last six games they have a 1.85 ERA (seven earned runs in 34 innings)...LHP Justin Wilson allowed one earned run in six innings last night and he has a 0.91 ERA in his last seven starts (four earned runs in 39 and 1/3 innings) to lower his ERA from 6.29 to 4.33...
LOVIN' LUIS: Last night marked the third time this season RHP Santo Luis has blown a save against Lynchburg in four attempts...He blew save attempts on May 14th and July 11th at Winston-Salem and the Hillcats won both of those games in the tenth inning...Last night the Cats fell in 13 frames...Luis has eight saves on the season, the most by any pitcher in the Carolina League...
FREE PASSES: RHP Chris Cullen issued three walks last night and allowed a pair of runs (one earned) to take the loss last night...In his last four outings (three since returning from the Disabled List) he has allowed nine walks in six innings, after he walked just six in his first 52 and 1/3 innings of action...In those four games Cullen has allowed 11 earned runs in those six innings (16.50 ERA) to raise his earned run average from 3.42 to to 4.76...Over a longer stretch he is posting a 9.00 ERA in his last 11 games (19 earned runs in 19 innings) to up his ERA from 2.72 to his current mark... PRIORITY PACKAGE: Priority reliever RHP Tom Boleska worked three scoreless innings last night...The right-hander has now not allowed an earned run since his return from the Disabled List on July 19th...That span now covers 23 and 1/3 innings pitched...On the season he has allowed just one earned run in 29 and 1/3 innings for an ERA of 0.31...
PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE: LHP Jeff Locke was able to wait through a 49 minute rain delay on Friday night to return to the mound and earn his fourth victory of the season and his third with the Hillcats...Prior to the delay the southpaw tossed three innings and allowed one run and after the stoppage threw two more scoreless frames...It marked the fourth time in five starts he allowed just one run in at least five innings of work after he failed to go five innings in four out of five starts...In his last five starts Locke is 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA (nine earned runs in 27 innings)...This after he went 0-3 with a 9.98 ERA in his previous five outings (17 earned runs in 15 and 1/3 innings)...
TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHERS: RHP Dylan Axelrod will start game one and was signed this season by the White Sox after he was released by the Padres...Originally 30th round selection of San Diego in the 2007 draft, he spent last season with full-season Low-A Fort Wayne and Advanced-A Lake Elsinore...With the Wizards in the Midwest League he went 1-1 with a 3.62 ERA in 23 games and with the Storm in the California League he was 2-1 with a 5.29 ERA in 32 relief appearances...This season Axelrod was 0-0 with a 4.50 ERA in 11 games pitching for Lake Elsinore before he was released...He pitched two games with full-season Low-A Kannopolis and allowed one run in four and 1/3 innings (2.08 ERA) before coming to Winston-Salem where he started twice and gone 1-1 with a 0.79 ERA...Tonight will be his first start against Lynchburg...In game two RHP Levi Maxwell will get the nod for the Dash...The White Sox selcted him in the 18th round of the 2007 draft out of West Virginia University...His final year with the Mountaineers he went 4-5 with a 6.04 ERA in 10 games (nine starts) in the Big East Conference...He made his professional debut that same season with Rookie level Great Falls and had a 3-2 record with a 4.11 ERA and four saves in 23 games...Last season he moved to full-season Low-A and went 15-5 with a 3.47 ERA in 26 games (17 starts) with the Intimidators...He finished the season with Winston-Salem and posted an 0-1 mork with a 6.32 ERA in four games (three starts)...This season he has been with Winston-Salem the entire year and has gone 4-13 with a 4.62 ERA and a save in 23 games (14 starts)...He leads the league in losses, but also has thrown a seven-inning no-hitter...He has made three relief appearances against Lynchburg and has gone 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA...
Carolina League Stories from August 23, 2009
- Pelicans Closing In On Another Attendance Record - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Frederick's Jacobson Walks Four in Decisive Tenth Inning - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Dash Split Doubleheader and Weekend Series with Hillcats - Winston-Salem Dash
- McSwain Tosses Complete Game Shutout in Game two Win - Hill City Howlers
- Myrtle Beach Wins Rubber Game in Ten Innings - Frederick Keys
- Red Sox Creep Within a Game of Kinston for Final Playoff Berth - Salem RidgeYaks
- Potomac Pummels Sox in Game Two to Split DH - Potomac Nationals
- Wilmington Pitching Stifles Kinston Offense - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- The K-Tribe Drops Both Games to Wilmington - Kinston Indians
- Hillcats Game Notes for August 23 - Hill City Howlers
- Dash Brief Game Notes for August 23 - Winston-Salem Dash
- Kinston's final homestand of the season this Monday through Sunday - Kinston Indians
- P-Nats Game Notes for August 23 - Potomac Nationals
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
