SAL1 Charleston RiverDogs

Hilligoss Sets New SAL Record as Hitting Streak Reaches 36 in RiverDogs 8-7

Published on May 31, 2007 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston RiverDogs News Release


Charleston third baseman Mitch Hilligoss bunted for a single in the seventh inning to establish a new South Atlantic League record with a 36-game hitting streak, but the Columbus Catfish rallied late to defeat the RiverDogs, 8-7, in front of 2,658 fans at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park Wednesday night.

The 21-year-old Hilligoss dropped a perfect bunt down the third-base line against Columbus reliever Neal Frontz in his fifth plate appearance to pass Scott Seabol for longest streak in league history. Seabol, a former Yankee farmhand, had set the previous mark for the Greensboro Bats in 1999.

Now at 36 games, Hilligoss has the longest hitting streak in the minor leagues since 1989, when Joey Cora of the Las Vegas Stars hit safely in 37 straight games in the Pacific Coast League. With a hit in his next game, the Windsor, Ill., native would tie Cora for the longest minor league streak in the past 20 years.

Following his record-setting single, Hilligoss received a standing ovation from the fans at Riley Park as his accomplishment was acknowledged over the public address system. He was later congratulated by his teammates upon returning to the dugout.

Despite the third baseman's heroics, the RiverDogs dropped to 27-26 with their second late-inning blown lead in three days. The Catfish improved to 35-18 with the win, and 9-4 against Charleston this season.

Columbus trailed 7-4 entering the top of the eighth inning but the Catfish sent eight batters to the plate and scored four times to spearhead the come-from-behind win. After an RBI groundout from Brett Grandstrand plated a run, Charleston closer Jonathan Hovis (0-2) came on with one out in the inning.

Hovis walked pinch-hitter Quinn Stewart to put runners on the corners, then allowed an RBI ground out to Desmond Jennings to make the score 7-6. With two outs, John Matulia then grounded a game-tying double down the right-field line to plate Stewart, and Cesar Suarez followed with a go-ahead bad-hop RBI single past shortstop Chris Kunda to plate Matulia.

Charleston, which picked up 16 hits but stranded a season-high 14 runners on base, put two aboard with two outs in the eighth against Frontz (3-4) but failed to score when Chris Kunda grounded harmlessly to shortstop. Columbus' fourth pitcher, Ryan Owen, worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning to pick up his third save.

The RiverDogs erased an early 1-0 deficit with five first inning runs against Columbus starter Woods Fines. Hillgoss walked leading off, then scored three batters later on a single by Chris Malec. Kevin Smith, Josue Calzado and Wilmer Pino all added RBI hits in the inning with Kunda finishing the scoring with a sacrifice fly to make it 5-1 Charleston.

Nevin Ashley blasted a home run over the right field fence in the third against RiverDogs starter Hector Noesi, and Matt Fields later doubled home a run to make the score 5-3. Noesi lasted only three innings in his Charleston debut and was charged with three runs on seven hits.

In the fourth, Fortenberry shot a lead-off home run over the right field wall, his team-leading ninth of the season and third in the last four games. Kevin Smith later doubled scoring Austin Jackson making the score 7-3, with all seven runs charged to Fines in his four innings of work on 11 Charleston hits.

Columbus' bullpen of Matt Falk, Frontz and Owen combined for five shutout innings the rest of the way to help the comeback effort.

In a two hour and fifty-eight minute game in which the teams combined for 15 runs and 28 hits, Hilligoss was able to collect only the one bunt single in his five at-bats.

The Catfish and RiverDogs square off in the third of this four-game series Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. Left-hander Ryan Morse (3-2, 2.70 ERA) is scheduled to start against RiverDogs righty Grant Duff (5-4, 4.19). Hilligoss, who is 1-for-2 with a sacrifice bunt and two RBI against Morse this season, will look to extend his streak to 37 games.

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South Atlantic League Stories from May 31, 2007


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