CarL1 Lynchburg Hillcats

Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes

April 16, 2010 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release


LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (3-4) @ FREDERICK KEYS (4-3) April 16th, 2010 -- 7:00 PM @ Harry Grove Stadium RHP Brad Boxberer (0-0, 1.80) vs. LHP Nate Nery (0-0, 0.00)

THE HILLCATS: Last night the Hillcats dropped the rubber match of a three-game series with a 7-2 loss to Salem...Lynchburg went 3-4 on their opening homestand...Tonight is the first game of a three-game series at Frederick and game one of 13 in a row on the road for the Cats...

VS. FREDERICK: The Hillcats are 2-2 against the Keys after the two teams split a four-game series last weekend at City Stadium to kick-off the campaign...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: Tonight Lynchburg begins 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...

INFIELD FIELDING WOES: Last night the Hillcats committed two errors that lead to three unearned runs...In seven game this season the Cats have 10 errors and all of them are by the infielders...The third error of the season by INF Carlos Mendez in the first inning led to two unearned runs...

STARTING OUT STRONG: Thus far this season the Hillcats starters have a combined record of 3-2 with a 1.24 ERA (five earned runs in 36 and 1/3 innings)...Last night RHP Curtis Partch allowed just one earned run in five innings, but took the tough luck loss as he also allowed three unearned runs...He was the first Cats starter that has allowed more than two runs in a start this season...

IT'S A HAT, NOT A CAP: OF Justin Reed went 0-for-4 last night with four strikeouts to earn the golden sombrero in the Hillcats 7-2 defeat...Reed is now 0-for-15 on the season with 11 strike outs...

BOUNDING BACK: RHP Jeff Jeffords worked two scoreless innings to closeout the game last night...The right-hander missed all of 2009 with an injury...In his first appearance since 2008 last Saturday, he allowed two runs in a 1/3 of an inning and walked three...A night ago he allowed just one hit in his two innings of work and struck out three...In 2008 Jeffords was a mid-season All-Star for Dayton in the Midwest League and on the season he went 3-6 with a 3.39 ERA with six saves in 40 games in relief for the Dragons...

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...

HAPPY TO SEE YOU: LHP Mace Thurman has saved all three of the Hillcats wins this season, including Wednesdays 5-3 victory...He has allowed two runs in three innings of work, but thus far this season he is 3-for-3 in save chances...Last season RHP R.J. Rodriguez led the league with 27 saves and was named to the mid and post-season Carolina League All-Star teams...His 27 saves were the second most ever in a single season by a Hillcat and it tied him for the second most in team history...

HUMMING ALONG: INF Carlos Mendez went 1-for-4 last night with a double...He has now hit in all seven games the Hillcats have played and is batting a team-high .320 (8-for-25)...His double last night was his first extra base hit of the season...

BEST OF THE REDLEGS: Seven members of the Hillcats are ranked amongst the top 30 prospects in the Reds organization prior to the season according to Baseball America...That list includes RHP Brad Boxberger (9), UTIL Neftali Soto (13), SS Miguel Rojas (17), RHP Mark Serrano (24), OF Josh Fellhauer (26), INF Cody Puckett (28) and C Devin Mesoraco (30)...

TODAY'S OPPOSING PITCHERS: LHP Nate Nery LHP Nate Nery was an 18th round selection of Baltimore in 2006 out of Stetson University...His junior and final season with the Hatters he went 7-5 with a 4.53 ERA in 26 games (12 starts)...That same year he made his professional debut with Short-Season Low-A Aberdeen and posted 3-4 record with a 5.17 earned run average with 14 games (nine starts)...He returned to the IronBirds in 2007 and went 5-4 mark with a 4.08 ERA in 22 games (eight starts)...In 2008 he advanced to full season Low-A and had a 7-3 record with a 3.39 ERA in 15 starts with Delmarva...He was again with the Shorebirds to start last season and was 3-0 with a 1.17 ERA in five games (four starts) before getting the call-up to Frederick...With the Keys last year he went 4-5 with a 5.00 ERA in 19 starts...He has made five starts against Lynchburg, including his only start this year...He is 0-1 with a 2.88 ERA against the Hillcats and last Saturday he went five innings, did not allow a run and took a no-decision in his outing against the Cats...

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Carolina League Stories from April 16, 2010


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