CarL1 Hill City Howlers

Hillcats vs. Nationals - Game Notes - May 24, 2013

Published on May 24, 2013 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Hill City Howlers News Release


THE HILLCATS: Lost to the Wilmington Blue Rocks yesterday 5-1...A costly throwing error on third baseman Kyle Kubitza in the fourth inning led to four unearned runs...Kubitza charged a slow rolling ground ball, threw to first base on the run, but missed low...The inning got away from starter Greg Ross after that...Ross ended up completing six innings...He gave up six hits, four unearned runs and struck out seven...The only RBI for the Hillcats on the day came from OF Will Skinner...The ‘Cats are now 24-20, still in first place in the Northern Division...

VS. POTOMAC: The Hillcats are 4-2 against the Nationals this season winning both series so far 2-1 ...Potomac boasts the third-best ERA in the league at 3.75 but against the Hillcats, the hold a 5.09 ERA...The ‘Cats have six home runs of Potomac pitchers in six games, four of which belong to OF Robby Hefflinger...Offense has clearly had the advantage in this series, as the two teams have combined to score 78 runs in six games....The Hillcats have actually been outscored 41-37...

LOOK WHO'S COMING TO TOWN: OF Robby Hefflinger has put together a great season leading the league in home runs (11), 11th in batting average (.285), and third in RBI (30)...More than anyone else though, he has enjoyed Potomac pitching...He is batting .391 with four homers, seven RBI, a double, and seven runs scored in six games against the Nationals...He's also drawn four walks and posted a .481 on-base percentage...He could use another jump start as he is just 2-for-13 in his last four games...

BEATING THEMSELVES: The Hillcats committed just one error yesterday but it turned out to be a big one leading to four unearned runs...The difference in a 5-1 ball game...The team now has 63 errors in 44 games, and a .963 fielding percentage...They have committed the second-most mistakes, and hold the second-worst percentage in the league to the Wilmington Blue Rocks (65, .962)...3B Kyle Kubitza's miscue yesterday was his 10th of the season, tying for the team-lead with SS Elmer Reyes, and the league-lead for third baseman with Myrtle Beach's Drew Robinson...

SKINNER!: OF Will Skinner was back in the lineup yesterday for the first time since May 12...He missed over a week with "pink eye"...He tried to play with the swollen right eye Sunday May 12 in Carolina and went 0-for-5...Prior to that he had been on a five game hitting streak, batting .368 (7-for-19) with a double, two home runs, six RBI, and six runs scored during the streak...Raised his average from .130 to .192, but the 0-for outing dropped it back to .179...In his return, he went 0-for-3 but did drive in the only Hillcat run of the game with a ground out in the eighth inning....

PACHECO FINDING STRIDE: LHP Ronan Pacheco currently holds a consecutive scoreless inning streak of 6.1 frames...Owns the lowest ERA on the team at 1.71...During the scoreless streak, he has struck out nine batters, allowed two hits, and walked just one batter...That one walk came 5.1 innings ago, which is his longest stretch without issuing a free pass on the season...Overall, he has walked 16 in 21 innings of work, but has also fanned 22 batters...The first-year side-armer has a 3.44 groundout to air out ratio...He finally gave up his first hit to a lefty on Sunday...It was OF Jordan Smith of Carolina...On the season, lefties are 1-for-27 (.037) against the southpaw...

WEAVING THROUGH: UTL Matt Weaver went 0-for-4 yesterday snapping his season-best hitting streak at six games...He batted .400 (8-for-20) with a double, a triple, five RBI, and three runs scored during the streak...The streak ended with him batting leadoff, while OF Matt Lipka rested...He has been the primary leadoff replacement when Lipka is out this season, but is batting just .156 (5-for-32) in the top spot...He has played in 30 of 44 Hillcats games this season, making his way into the lineup where ever there is room, playing every infield spot, right and center field...Today, he plays in his eighth consecutive game...His longest streak prior was five games in a row...

TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER: RHP Taylor Hill was selected in the sixth round of the 2011 draft by the Nationals out of Vanderbilt University after his senior season...The Old Hickory, Tennessee native was the number two high school prospect in the state (14th overall) rated by Baseball America entering the 2007 draft out of Mt. Juliet High School...Named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Tennessee striking out 106 batters in 82 innings...He was set on going to Vanderbilt however, for the academic and athletic experience...Posted ERAs of 4.46 or higher in each of his first three college seasons, before going 6-1 with a 2.73 ERA his senior year...Cleveland drafted him in the 30th round in 2010 but he went back for his senior season..Made his pro debut with Auburn (NYP)...Went 0-2 with a 3.16 ERA (9G, 5GS)...Spent most of 2012 with Low-A Hagerstown (SAL)...His first three appearances were in relief before joining the rotation the rest of the season...Went 10-6 with a 4.62 ERA before getting a shot with Potomac in August...Went 1-1 with a 4.80 ERA in three starts...Tonight will be his first start against the Hillcats...Currently, his 2.31 ERA ranks second in the league, only behind former teammate RHP Taylor Jordan (1.24) who is now in Double-A...Hill also boasts the only shutout in the league this year...

Check out the Hill City Howlers Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Carolina League Stories from May 24, 2013


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.

OurSports Central