CarL1 Lynchburg Hillcats

Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes

Published on April 22, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release


LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (2-10) @ FREDERICK KEYS (5-7)

April 22nd, 2011 -- 7:00 PM

Harry Grove Stadium

LHP Chris Masters (0-0, 1.23) vs. RHP Mitch Atkins (0-2, 3.00)

THE HILLCATS: Thursday the Hillcats won by a score of 9-1 over the Frederick Keys...It was their their first win in 11 games, snapping their 10-game losing streak...Lynchburg sits in fourth place in the Carolina League Northern Division at 2-10...

VS. FREDERICK: The Hillcats took game one of the season series last night and are 1-0 vs the Frederick Keys in 2011...In 2010, Lynchburg lost the season series 8-12...However, the Hillcats have switched affiliations since last season...The Myrtle Beach Pelicans (2010 Braves Advance-A affiliate) split the season series with the Keys 10-10...

'CATS WIN! 'CATS WIN!: On the verge of matching the all-time worst losing streak in Hillcats History, the 2011 Hillcats squad pounded the Frederick Keys with 16 hits, seven for extra bases, including three home runs, three triples and a double on their way to a 9-1 victory...It took the Hillcats 12 games to get their second win of the year which is the longest for any Hillcats club since adopting the mascot in 1995...The 10-game losing streak will stand as the longest April losing streak for any Hillcats team, however not the longest ever, as both in 2007 (8/22-9/1) and 2008 (7/25-8/4), the Green and Gold lost 11 straight games...

DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS: The Hillcats have committed 24 errors through their first 12 games...That's the most in the league by seven (Myrtle Beach has the next most at 14)... Their .953 fielding percentage is good for eigth in the CL...The errors have not gone unpunished either, as the Hillcats staff has surrendered 20 unearned runs, also most in CL and nine more than Wilmington with second most...15 of the errors have come up the middle of the infield...Andrelton Simmons is responsible for seven miscues at shortstop in 10 games, and Matt Weaver in his one game at short added another error to the position as well as one at second base...The other six errors up the middle have come at the expense of Phil Gosselin at second base...10 of the 24 errors have come in just the past four games, three Monday, four Tuesday, and one Wednesday, and two Thursday...

GET AHEAD...NOW STAY AHEAD: The Hillcats have scored first in each of their past three games after opening the season with nine straight games of falling behind first...Getting the early lead finally led to a victory Thursday as the Hillcats crushed the Keys 9-1...The prior two games both resulted in Lynchburg losses even though the Hillcats led at two points during Wednesday night's game in Salem, 1-0 in the second inning, and 3-2 in the fifth inning, but ultimately ending up on the short end of a 5-4 game...

BEST OF THE BRAVOS: Eight members of the Hillcats are ranked amongst the top 30 prospects in the Braves organization according to Baseball America...That list includes RHP Arodys Vizcaino (7), SS Andrelton Simmons (15), RHP David Hale (17), RHP Dimasther Delgado (18), OF Todd Cunningham (20), OF Adam Milligan (22), INF Joe Leonard (23) and 2B Phil Gosselin (25)...Vizcaino was tabbed the 93rd best prospect in all of baseball by BA as well...

BACK TO BUSINESS: The Hillcats 2011 Manager Luis Salazar made his triumphant return to managing last Friday night in the Hillcats home opener...Rick Albert had been filling in as Interim Manager for the first five games of the season...Media swarmed the Hill City including, ESPN.com, Sports Illustrated, The Associated Press, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, WSET ABC 13 Lynchburg, WDBJ 7 Roanoke, WSLS 10 Roanoke, and The News & Advance...The Hillcats went 0-5 in their opening Homestand and were outscored 52-18...Leaving the media circus behind, the Hillcats are 1-1 on their current road trip losing to Salem in a 5-4 game in which the 'Cats led twice and snapped their 10-game losing streak with a 9-1 route of the Frederick Keys...

GO BIG OR GO HOME: INF Joey Terdoslavich extended his current hitting streak to six games Thursday night against the Frederick Keys, during the streak he has launched six long balls and now leads the Carolina League...He went 2-for-5 last night with a home run, a double, and three RBI...He is hitting .440 (11-for-25) during the streak with six home runs, two doubles, eight RBI, and six runs scored...He went deep twice in both Saturday and Monday's contests...He has improved his batting average by over .200 points over the last five games, going from .052 to now .273 (12-for-44)...He is also slugging .750...

QUICK AND EFFICIENT: RHP Zeke Spruill (1-1) pitched seven scoreless innings last night on his way to his frist win of the season...He faced just 25 batters to get 21 outs and took a no-hitter into the fifth inning...Oh ya, and he struck out the side in the second inning with just 10 pitches (10 strikes, 0 balls)...

TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER: RHP Mitch Atkins was selected in the 7th round of the 2004 draft out of Northeast Guilford (Mcleansville, NC) High School by the Chicago Cubs...He has spent the last seven seasons working his way up the ranks in the Cubs organization...He made his Major League Debut 7/29/09 vs. HOU and pitched a perfect inning of relief...He last pitched in the big leagues 8/8/10...His best season came in 2006 with the Class-A Peoria Chiefs (13-4, 2.41 ERA, 25gs, 138.1 ip and 127 k)...He has made one prior start in 2011 with the Keys (3.0 ip, 2 h, 1 r, 1 er, 0 bb, and 7 k)...

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Carolina League Stories from April 22, 2011


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