CarL1 Hill City Howlers

Hillcats vs. Salem Sox - Game Notes - June 13, 2013

Published on June 13, 2013 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Hill City Howlers News Release


THE HILLCATS: Beat the Winston-Salem Dash last night 6-3 and took the series 2-1 at BB&T Ballpark...RHP Greg Ross going on three days rest allowed just two runs in six innings on his way to a win...He was supported by three home runs....OF Will Skinner went deep twice, and 3B Kyle Kubitza homered once...All three were solo shots...The ‘Cats took the early lead with three runs in the second and held on from there...Ross didn't allow a hit until there was one out in the fourth, and the shutout was broken up in the fifth with two outs...The Hillcats are now 34-30, four games out of first place with just five games to play...

VS. SALEM: The Hillcats are 3-6 against the Red Sox this season...Salem swept the first series they played in Lynchburg 3-0,w ith one game getting postponed due to rain...The last series in Salem was split 1-1 and the finale was postponed due to rain...Last weekend the two clubs split a pair of doubleheaders in Lynchburg...The ‘Cats won the season series 12-8 over the Red Sox last year...They went 7-4 at home against Salem, playing one extra home game because a game in Salem was postponed during a four-game home and home series in which a doubleheader was played in Lynchburg to make up for the Salem rainout...Salem and Lynchburg are closest in vicinity of any two teams in the Carolina League separated by just 57 miles...

DOUBLE VISION: Lynchburg and Salem will play their third doubleheader in six day tonight...Last weekend the Hillcats took the first games of the doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday, but both times the Red Sox were able to split with a night cap victory...Those are the only doubleheaders the ‘Cats have played this season, 2-2 in twin bill play...The Red Sox are 4-5 in doubleheader games...

I SAW RED: Beginning with the doubleheader last Saturday night, the Hillcats finish the first half with nine games in nine days against the Salem Red Sox...Tonight a doubleheader will kick off five games against the Sox in the final four days of the half...

SKINNER'S WILL: OF Will Skinner homered twice last night, his first multi-home game of the season...he now has five in his last five games...He is on a five-game hitting streak, batting .389 (7-for-18) with five blasts, a double, eight RBI, and six runs scored...He has driven in a run and scored a run in each of his last five games as well...Has hits in 10 of his last 11 starts, raising his average from .167 to .207 in that span, which is a season-high clip for Skinner who struggled to the tune of a .104 batting average in April..Batting .333 in June...

REYES GO FURTHER: SS Elmer Reyes notched three more hits last night extending his current hitting streak to 15 games...No one else in the circuit has made it past 12 games this season...He's batting .444 (24-for-54) during this stretch with a home run, eight doubles, four RBI, and seven runs scored...The next best current hitting streaks in the league sit at 12 games belonging to Winston-Salem's 2B Joey DeMichele and Salem's OF Keury De La Cruz...

ROSS SEEMED RESTED: RHP Greg Ross was asked to throw on three days rest instead of the standard four days last night due to all the doubleheaders the Hillcats have been dealing with this past week...He responded with one of his best starts of the season...He held the most productive offense in the league without a hit until the fourth inning and without any runs until the fifth...He went six innings, struck out three, walked one, surrendered four hits and two runs...He earned his third win of the season for his efforts...

TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER: RHP Kyle Stroup was selected in 50th round of the 2008 draft by the Red Sox out of Grant Community High School in Fox Lake, IL...Final pick of the 2008 draft...Signed late and didn't debut until 2009...Originally projected to go in the top 10 rounds in 2008, but dropped due to bonus demands (135k in 103.1 innings Jr/Sr years of HS)...Made 12 appearances in relief for the GCL Red Sox his first season (1-1, 4.50; 24ip, 28h, 14bb, 19k)...Missed 2010 with a right ACL injury...Made full season club debut with Low-A Greenville in 2011, 21 starts (6-6, 3.67; 95.2ip, 101h, 26bb, 75k)...Missed 2012 with left ACL injury...Moved up again after rehab this season to Salem...Throws fastball, knuckle curve, and circle change...Big Chicago sports fan (Cubs, Bears, Bulls), and a Kentucky basketball fan...Threw five innings in Lynchburg last Saturday, gave up two earned runs on five hits and took the loss...

GAME TWO OPPOSING PITCHER: RHP Mickey Pena was selected in the sixth round of the 2011 draft by the Red Sox out of San Jacinto College North (TX)...Was drafted twice previously, fifth round 2009 by the Nationals and 13th round 2010 by the Padres...Went 10-3 with a team-best 1.91 ERA while striking out 93 in 85 innings in his final college season...Earned a NJCAA All-American honorable mention and was unanimous All-Region XIV South Conference in 2011...Made his professional debut with Short-season Lowell (NYP)...Went 1-0 with a 2.35 ERA in five appearances, two starts...Started 2012 with Low-A Greenville (8-7, 2.95)...Made 20 appearances, 19 starts, but missed about a month on the DL (7/7-8/6)...After three starts this season with Salem he was suspended for 50-games for testing positive for a banned substance...Was supposed to face the Hillcats back in April for his fourth start of the year, and as it turns out he gets the ‘Cats for his fourth start here in June...

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