CarL1 Lynchburg Hillcats

Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes

Published on May 5, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release


LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (9-15) @ WINSTON-SALEM DASH (9-17)

May 5th, 2011 -- 7:00 PM

BB&T Ballpark

RHP Arodys Vizcaino (1-2, 3.93) vs. RHP Terry Doyle (0-3, 4.50)

THE HILLCATS: Wednesday the Hillcats failed to complete the sweep of the Wilmington Blue Rocks as they fell 7-3 in the series finale...It was the 'Cats second chance at a sweep this season, and the second time the Hillcats have come up short (4/24 @ FRE, 2-1)...Lynchburg continues to look up from fourth place in the Carolina League Northern Division, now 9-15 and 6.5 games back of the Blue Rocks...

VS. WINSTON-SALEM: Tonight will be the first meeting between the Dash and Hillcats in 2011...Winston-Salem took the season series 16-4 against the Hillcats in 2010...However, the Hill-Cty has welcomed a new affiliate in the Atlanta Braves...Last season the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (2010 Braves Advance-A affiliate) nearly split the season series with the Dash taking nine games of 20...

BEST, BUT YET THE WORST: Despite sitting in fourth place nearly the entire season, the Hillcats currently boast the the best divisional record in the Carolina League Northern Division at 8-4, better than first place Wilmington (5-4), second place Frederick (2-5), and third place Potomac (3-5)...The 'Cats unfortunately are 1-11 against Southern Division opponents, with their one win coming against the third place Kinston Indians last Saturday...

GOT TO ADMIT, IT'S GETTIN' BETTER: Lynchburg opened up the season with the worst start in Hillcats history at 1-10...Dropping 10 games in a row after winning their season opener...The 'Cats are 8-5 since snapping the losing streak on April 21st in Frederick...Credit for the turn-around can be given in large part to the pitching staff...Hillcats' hurlers have allowed just 27 earned runs over the past 13 games in 109.0 ip, good a 2.23 ERA in that span...The staff has climbed from eighth to fourth in the league in ERA during the 13-game stretch...The offense in the meantime has been averaging exactly four runs per game in that span (52 runs/13 games) but that includes a pair of nine-run efforts (4/21 @ FRE, 5/2 @ WIL) and Tuesday night's 11-run display...Taking those three games out of the equation leaves the 'Cats scoring just 2.3 runs per game since snapping the losing skid, yet still 5-5 in those 10 games...

ROCKIN' THE BLUE ROCKS: The Hillcats' bats came alive this week in Wilmington...In three games, the 'Cats scored 23 runs on 41 hits, the most runs and hits in a three game span by the Hillcats this season...Setting season highs was a regular occurrence...Lynchburg batted around the order, sending nine batters to the plate for the first time this season in the eighth inning Tuesday night...The inning resulted in season high marks of six runs and six hits, while tying a season high of two home runs in an inning...The 11 runs scored in the game surpassed the previous high of nine that was matched the night before...Monday's 16 hits for the 'Cats matched the season high mark set in Frederick on April 21st, the day the 10-game losing streak was snapped...Individually, OF Adam Milligan was the first Hillcat this season to have four hits in a single game as he homered, doubled, and singled twice in five chances Tuesday...OF Todd Cunningham, just a day later, matched the four-hit effort, going 4-for-4 last night...

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...

REMOVE FROM LEADOFF AND LET 'SIMM'ER: SS Andrelton Simmons batted leadoff for the Hillcats in 10 of the first 11 games of the season, getting one day off...The team was 1-9 in his starts while he hit just .211 (8-for-38) in that span...Simmons was dropped from the leadoff spot on the twelfth game and has thrived hitting safely in 12 of 12 games since...He has batted second (3), sixth (1), seventh (7), and ninth (2) in his past 13 games, batting .449 (22-for-49) with nine RBI, six runs scored and three stolen bases...He now leads the team in batting average at .345 and ranks fourth in the Carolina League overall...

WILE-Y IS NO TRICK: OF Keenan Wiley went 2-for-3 last night in Wilmington...He extended his current hit streak to four games...Now hitting .400 (8-for-20) Wiley has been a pleasant surprise for the Braves organization...After receiving interest from the Braves before the 2010 draft, Wiley went unselected and later signed with the independent River City Rascals of the Frontier League...He hit .308 through 15 games before recapturing the attention of the Braves and signing in August, 2010...Successful every step of the way, he batted .328 for Danville in 20 games in 2010, and .293 through 14 games with Rome before being called up to Lynchburg on April 25th this year...

TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER : RHP Terry Doyle was drafted in the 37th round of the 2008 draft out of Boston College...Combined to go 12-10 with a 2.94 ERA and 157 strikeouts in 2010, splitting time between Kannapolis and Winston-Salem...led all White Sox minor league pitchers in innings pitched (168.1) and strikeouts, tied for second in wins and was third in ERA...Currently 0-3 with a 4.50 ERA...

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Carolina League Stories from May 5, 2011


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