CarL1 Hill City Howlers

Lynchburg Hillcats (4-5) at Frederick Keys(5-4) Sunday April 18

Published on April 18, 2010 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Hill City Howlers News Release


THE HILLCATS: Yesterday the Hillcats fell 6-4 in game two of a three-game series with the Keys at Harry Grove Stadium...Today is the rubber match of a three-game series at Frederick and game three of 13 in a row on the road for the Cats...

VS. FREDERICK: The Hillcats are 3-3 against the Keys this season after their loss last yesterday...Last season the Cats went 14-5 versus the Keys and were 7-3 at Harry Grove Stadium...Lynchburg holds the all-time advantage 160-137 and they are 76-71 at the Grove...The Hillcats won five of the six series versus the Keys last season and tied the other...The Cats record against the Keys was their best against any opponent in the Carolina League at home, on the road and overall...Seven of the Hillcats first ten games are against Frederick...

FAMILIAR FOES: Today Lynchburg finishes a three-game series with Frederick...Seven of the first 10 games of the season are against the Keys...The Hillcats are playing the same two teams over the course of the first 14 games of the season (Frederick and Salem)...

SLOWLY BUT SURELY: The Hillcats offense Friday night matched their season-high with five runs, set a new season-high with 14 hits, hit two home runs for the first time in a game and had a season-high seven extra-base hits...After scoring ten runs in the first five games of the season (two runs per game), Lynchburg has scored 12 runs in their last three contests (four runs per game)...Prior to last night only one Cat had smacked three hits in a game, last night three different players had three hits in the win...

CLOSE CALL: In the bottom of the ninth inning Friday night Frederick scored two runs and had the tying and go-ahead runs on base when the game ended...LHP Mace Thurman walked three men, hit another and allowed a hit in 2/3 of an inning before getting pulled from the game...RHP Justin Freeman entered the game and retired the only man he faced to secure the victory and pick-up the save...

INFIELD FIELDING WOES: Friday night the Hillcats committed their 11th error of the season...All of those errors have been by the infielders for the Cats...INF Carlos Mendez was charged with the error last night, which was his team-high fourth of the season...

AS GOOD AS ADVERTISED: RHP Brad Boxberger is the top rated prospect on the Hillcats (the ninth ranked prospect in the Reds system)...The supplemental first round pick from last year has made two starts and thus far he is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA...Friday night he only allowed one run on one hit and struck out six...He has whiffed 13 batters through his first ten innings...

REDEMPTION SONG: Friday night RHP Justin Freeman entered the game in the bottom of the ninth inning with the tying and go-ahead runs on base and he retired the only man he faced to seal the win...Last Sunday Freeman came into the contest against the Keys trying to protect a one-run lead with the tying and go-ahead runs on base and both of those runs scored...He got the blown save in that game and came into last night with an 11.25 ERA in three appearances...Last night he managed to protect the one-run advantage over the Keys to pick-up his first save of the season...

NOT FAIR: LHP Matt Fairel tossed six innings on Wednesday without allowing a hit or a run in earning his second victory in two starts this season...The only man who reached against the lefty was on a second inning error...Fairel has not allowed a run in 11 and 1/3 innings of work this season and his current scoreless innings streak (going back to last season) is now up to 32 straight innings...

HUMMING ALONG: INF Carlos Mendez went 1-for-5 last night with a double and a run scored...He has now hit in all eight games the Hillcats have played and is batting .300 (9-for-30)...Last season he batted .308, which was fifth in the Midwest League and third in the Reds minor league system...

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Carolina League Stories from April 18, 2010


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