CarL1 Lynchburg Hillcats

Hillcats vs. Dash - Game Notes - June 21, 2013

June 21, 2013 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release


THE HILLCATS: Finished the second half at 36-33, missing one game due to weather...They fell short of a first half title as the Potomac Nationals went 42-27 to secure a playoff spot...The ‘Cats were in first place after 38 of their first 52 games of the season, but fell out of the top spot for good on June 1 following a second straight loss to the Nationals...The second half starts tonight with a fresh start for all eight teams, six of which still vying for a playoff spot come September...

VS. WINSTON-SALEM: The Hillcats are 8-3 against the Dash this season...They have won every series thus far, losing a single game in each set...The ‘Cats won three of four the last time the Dash were in Lynchburg April 29 - May 2...The series has favored the offense heavily as the pitching has struggled to a 5.01 ERA for Lynchburg and a 6.09 ERA for Winston-Salem...The Hillcats are batting .290 with 14 home runs in 11 games, while the Dash are hitting .259 with 10 home runs...

NECESSARY BREAK: Lynchburg finished the first half by playing 12 games in the final nine days...That included four doubleheaders (all against the Salem Red Sox)...They went 6-6 during that stretch...

NO REST FOR SOME: OF Robby Hefflinger, OF David Rohm, and LHP Ronan Pacheco all competed in the California-Carolina League this past week...The Carolina League ran away with the game winning 12-2..The Carolina League have outscored the California League 21-3 over the last two years, and now has a winning record of 8-7-1 against the California in the history of this All-Star Game...Rohm went 1-for-2 with two RBI, and a runs scored, entering of the bench...Pacheco threw two-thirds of an inning walking one and giving up a hit, while getting the first two outs of the ninth frame...Hefflinger stole the show (see next)...

MR. HEFF GOES TO CALIFORNIA: OF Robby Hefflinger is the Carolina League home run leader with 18 this season, and Tuesday he took home the Home Run Derby Crown as well...He followed his derby effort by going 3-for-5 in the game with a pair of doubles and a run scored..He was named the All-Star MVP, and doused with an icy water bucket after the game by his teammates...In addition to leading the league in home runs, Heflinger currently ranks eighth in batting average (.294), tied for fifth in hits (75), first in slugging percentage (.580), first in extra-base hits (36), and first in total bases (148)...

JUNE GLOOM: The Hillcats are just 7-10 in the month of June...They were 29-23 entering the month...The offense hit .269 which is 10 points higher the season average of .259, but only averaged 3.9 runs per game (66R/17G), falling below their season average of 4.7 runs...The pitching has posted a disappointing 5.25 ERA, and blew two saves, after a perfect save record in April and May...

HOME SWEET HOME: Only three games were scheduled at home for the Hillcats in the first three weeks of June...Due to dobuleheaders, they played four home games and 13 road games, and took four days off for the All-Star Break, and lost a game due to rain...They are 5-9 on the road in June, and 2-2 at home...Starting tonight, they will finish the month with seven home games and three on the road...

KEEP IT UP KUBITZA: 3B Kyle Kubitza is batting .392 (20-for-51) in June...He was batting just .215 after an 0-for-1 effort on May 14...He now ranks 11th in the Carolina League with a .287 clip...He went seven straight games with an RBI from June 10-16, but an 0-for-2 effort and no RBI snapped that streak in game two of a doubleheader on the 16th, the final game of the first half...Currently ranks third in the league in on-base percentage (.402), and third in walks with 40...

RISING REYES: SS Elmer Reyes is batting .407 (22-for-54) in June...He was batting .261 heading into action on May 30, but has now lifted his average to .301, which ranks fifth in the circuit...He began a team-best 15-game hitting streak on May 30...Only OF Keury De La Cruz of the Salem Red Sox has put together a longer streak of 16 games, which has extended into the second half...

NEW FACES AT INTERMISSION: The Hillcats welcome infielders Eric Garcia and Levi Hyams from Low-A Rome to start the second half...Garcia batted .304 with two home runs and 11 RBI in 24 games with Rome this season...Hyams batted .317 with a home run and 26 RBI in 53 games...Both were drafted in 2012 in the 20th and 19th rounds respectively...

TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER: RHP Jake Cose was selected in the 27th round of the 2011 draft by the White Sox out of San Joaquin Delta (CA) Junior College...Helped his team win the 2011 California State Title before signing with the White Sox...The Stockton, CA native reported to Short-season Bristol after signing...Went 1-1 with an 8.18 ERA in his professional debut season (11 relief appearances)...Sent back to Bristol in 2012 as a starter...Went 3-6 with a 4.38 ERA in 12 starts...Had 64 strikeouts in 61.1 innings...Made one appearance with Low-A Kannapolis in September to end the season...Tossed three scoreless innings in his first Single A start...Broke camp with a full-season club for first time this season in Low-A Kannapolis...Went 4-3 with a 1.72 ERA in 10 starts...Fanned 63 in 57.2 innings...Promoted to Hi-A Winston-Salem in June...Through three starts, he is 1-1 with a 5.09 ERA...Tonight will be his first start against the Hillcats...

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Carolina League Stories from June 21, 2013


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