Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes
Published on April 28, 2009 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Hill City Howlers News Release
LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (12-7) @ MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS (7-12)
April 28th, 2009 -- 7:05 PM
@ BB&T Coastal Field
LHP Chi-Hung Cheng (1-0, 6.23) vs. LHP Jose Ortegano (1-3, 6.89)
THE HILLCATS: Last night Lynchburg opened up their three-game set against Myrtle Beach with a 5-4 comeback victory at BB&T Coastal Field...The win moved the Hillcats to a league best 12-7 mark...Tonight is the second game of a three-game series and the sixth game of the Cats current seven-game road trip...
VS. MYRTLE BEACH: Last year the Pelicans took the season series 13-7 and were 7-3 at home against the Cats...Lynchburg was 6-6 against the Birds until they lost seven in a row to drop the series...The last time they came to the Grand Strand they got swept in a four-game set...
CALL IT A CATS COMEBACK...AGAIN: The Hillcats fell down 2-0 after an inning and rallied to tie the game at two, then fell down again 4-2 before they came back and won 5-4...Nine of the Cats 12 wins have been in come from behind fashion this season...The last three victories for Lynchburg have been comeback wins...This year the Hillcats have nine come from behind victories, they had 21 in 138 games last season...
SETTING THE TONE: After their 5-4 win last night the Hillcats improved to 5-1 in series openers this season...They won the first opener of this road trip when they beat the Indians in Kinston last Thursday night 11-7...
BY THE SLIGHTEST OF MARGINS: The one-run victory last night was Lynchburg's sixth win by a run this season...They are now 6-1 in one-run games...
IF YOU'RE NOT FIRST, YOU'RE LAST: The Cats entered today in first place in the Northern Division with a two and a half game lead, their biggest of the season...Lynchburg has only been out of first place for one day thus far this year...
PICKED UP BY THE PEN: The win last night by the Hillcats bullpen was the eighth win of the season by the Cats relievers...They are also eight for nine in save opportunities, including their save last night...
WHICH MOLLY? It's been all or nothing so far this season with RHP Dustin Molleken...In his first five innings of work he allowed one hit, no runs and struckout seven...In the next inning and a third the right-hander allowed 12 hits, nine runs (eight earned) and did not strikeout a batter...Since then he has bounced back in his last two outings, tossing five innings with three hits, no runs, striking out six and picking up a hold and the win last night..
PLAYING THE STAR AGAIN: 3B Pedro Alvarez smacked his fourth home run of the season in the top of the seventh inning to give the Hillcats the lead for good...Three of his home runs have given the Hillcats the lead and the other tied the game with the Cats down to their final out in the ninth inning...Of his three go-ahead blasts, two were game winners and one was a walk-off long ball...
OVER DUE: Last night 1B Kent Sakamoto went 1-for-3 with an RBI, a run and a walk in the Hillcats victory...The hit snapped an 0-for-20 stretch and the RBI was the first of the season for the returning Hillcat...Last season Sakamoto smacked 10 home runs and drove-in 66 runs for Lynchburg...
COMING THROUGH IN CLUTCH: OF Marcus Davis picked up his first hit of the season with men in scoring position last night...He was 0-for-20 before his game-tying RBI single in the top of the fourth inning...He went 2-for-4 on the night with his first triple of the year and he scred the game-tying run in the top of the sixth...
AUTOMATIC: This season RHP R.J. Rodriguez is 7-for-7 in save opportunities, including picking up the save in last night's 5-4 victory...In his last seven outings Rodriguez has six saves and a win and has not allowed a run...
TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER: LHP Jose Ortegano was signed as a 16 year old in 2003 out of Venezuela...In 2004 and 2005 he was outstanding for the Dominican Braves and was good again in 2006 with the GCL Braves...He advanced to the Short Season Low-A Danville Braves in 2007 and was 6-1 with a 1.48 ERA in 13 games (nine starts)...Last season he spent the majority of the year with the full season Low-A Rome Braves and posted a 2-5 mark and a 4.62 ERA in 17 games (15 starts)...He began this season with Myrtle Beach and has gone 1-3 with 6.89 ERA in four games (three starts)...
Carolina League Stories from April 28, 2009
- Seven runs in first two innings lifts Lynchburg - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Lynchburg takes first two games of three-game set at Myrtle Beach - Hill City Howlers
- Late Rally Sparks Nationals in Opener - Potomac Nationals
- K-Tribe Gets By Salem 3-2 - Wednesday's Game at 11 AM - Kinston Indians
- Kinston Steals Game One, 3-2 - Salem RidgeYaks
- Lyons Activated from DL, Lehman released - Potomac Nationals
- Pelicans Transaction - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Dash Fall Short as Keys Even Series - Winston-Salem Dash
- Bats Thrive, Bullpen Holds In Keys Win - Frederick Keys
- Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Hill City Howlers
- Nationals Ready for Second Homestand - Potomac Nationals
- Battle for First Place as the K-Tribe Homestand Rolls On - Kinston Indians
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