CarL1 Lynchburg Hillcats

Hillcats Game Notes

Published on April 29, 2012 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release


LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (12-8) VS FREDERICK KEYS (7-12)

April 29th, 2012 -- 2:00 PM

Harry Grove Stadium

RHP Gus Schlosser (2-0, 5.04) vs. RHP Scott Copeland (1-0, 1.83)

THE HILLCATS: Last night, the Hillcats beat the Frederick Keys 5-1...The Keys' lone run came from a solo shot by C Joe Oliveira, his first of the season...The Hillcats went ahead early with four singles to center field in the first inning and scored two runs...Lynchburg last three runs came as a result of 2B Tommy La Stella's second home run of the year...The three-run blast made it 5-1 in the fifth inning...RHP Cody Martin earned the win after throwing six innings, allowing just one run on two hits and striking out seven...The Hillcats are now 12-8 and are still in first place in the Northern Division...

VS. FREDERICK: The Hillcats are 3-1 against the Keys this season...Their first series, last weekend in Lynchburg, was cut short by two days due to rain...This is the first trip for the Hillcats to Frederick this year, and they are currently 2-0 at Harry Grove Stadium...The HIllcats won their first three game in Frederick in 2011...The Hillcats currently lead the All-Time series 179-157...

WIN ONE MORE: ...And it's called a winning streak...The Hillcats won their first five games of the season...It was the best start to a season in Hillcats history...Since losing their first game, however, the 'Cats have not won more than two games in a row...Lynchburg is actually sub-.500 since snapping the season-opening winning streak at 7-8...A win today over the Keys would give the Hillcats their first three-game streak since winning their first five and it would complete their second series sweep on this year as well, first on the road...

WHAT A COINCIDENCE: It took nineteen games, but the Hillcats tossed their first shutout of the season Friday night...They are the second to last team to do so in the Carolina League...The Potomac Nationals are now the only team yet to hold an opponent scoreless...Last year, Lynchburg took 14 games to complete their first shutout, and as it happens it was in Frederick, April 23...It was a seven inning game that saw LHP Chris Masters throw the first five innings and RHP Andrew Wilson throw the last two...Last night, Hillcats pitching was on their game again...Limiting the Keys to just one run...Frederick has now scored two or less runs in six of their last eight games, losing all six of those contests...

LEAGUE'S BEST BATS: The Hillcats currently lead the Carolina League in most major offensive categories...They lead the league in batting average (.295)...They've hit seven more homers (25), have three more RBI (110), and are slugging nearly 70 points higher (.493) than every other team in the league...

PROSPECT WATCH: Once again, the Hillcats will start the season with eight of the top-30 Braves prospects...Second most of the Braves affiliates to Double-A Mississippi who have started the year with 10...3B/SS Edward Salcedo (6), RHP J.R. Graham (13), SS/2B/OF Matt Lipka (14), SS Nick Ahmed (15), LHP Dimasther Delgado (18), RHP Cody Martin (19), C Evan Gattis (27), and 2B Tommy La Stella (28) are the eight top-30 prospects on the Hillcats Opening Day roster...

MAKE'EM PAY FOR MISTAKES: Back-to-back Frederick errors put runners at first and second with nobody out yesterday in the fifth inning for the Hillcats...Keys' starter RHP Kyle Simon then struck out SS Nick Ahmed before 2B Tommy La Stella hit a three-run homer to put the 'Cats up 5-1 (all three runs unearned)...The two errors were the 29th and 30th on the season for Frederick...They have committed the second-most errors in the Carolina League this year (Winston-Salem, 34), and have the second-worst fielding percentage, .960...The three RBI for La Stella gave him 18 on the season now, which is tied for second-most in the league...

PLATINUM SOMBRERO: SS Nick Ahmed entered last night's game hitting .311 on the season with a home run, 11 RBI, and a league-best 20 runs scored through 19 games played...He had an off-night to say the least as he went 0-for-5 with five swinging strikeouts...The five strikeouts increased his season total by 50 percent to 15 on the year now...

TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER: RHP Scott Copeland was selected in the 21st round in 2010 after his senior year at the University of Southern Mississippi...Transferred from Panola Community College...Was four-year starter at White Oak (TX) High School, where he was a two-time All-East Texas Selection...2010, went 2-5 with a 2.91 ERA in 12 starts for Short-season Aberdeen (NYP) before earning a promotion to Low-A Delmarva, where he made one start, threw six scoreless innings and earned a win...2011, made 20 starts for Delmarva, went 5-9 with a 6.58 ERA, struck just 55 in 108 innings...Also went 3-2 with a 2.14 ERA in six starts for Frederick...This season, he is 1-0 with a 1.83 ERA through four starts with Frederick...Faced the Hillcats last week, 4/19...Went six innings, gave up just one run on three hits and a walk, and struck out four...Did not get a decision...The Hillcats broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the ninth inning that night with a two-run walk-off homer from C Evan Gattis...

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