Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes
Published on May 17, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Hill City Howlers News Release
LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (14-21) @ KINSTON INDIANS (14-22)
May 17th, 2011 -- 6:30 PM
Historic Grainger Stadium
RHP Cory Rasmus (0-4, 7.63) vs. LHP T.J. House (1-4, 4.61)
THE HILLCATS: Monday the Hillcats beat the Kinston Indians 11-0...The 'Cats led all game after two in the first inning...Braeden Schlehuber highlighted the offense with a Grand Slam in the fifth, while starter Zeke Spruill tossed a complete game shutout...The Hillcats jumped into third place in the Carolina League Northern Division, 6.5 games back the first place Frederick Keys...
VS. KINSTON: The Hillcats are 2-2 against the Indians in 2011...The two teams first met in Lynchburg this season 4/29-5/1...The first two games of the series saw each side get shut out once, followed by a hard fought rubber match that ended 3-1 in favor of the Indians...Yet another shutout was in store last night as the 'Cats rolled 11-0, and evened the season series taking game one of the current four-game set...
LET'S HIT THE ROAD: Away from the "Hill City" this season the Hillcats have hit .267 as opposed to .231 at home, and pitchers have posted a 3.33 ERA, over a run less than at City Stadium (4.57)...Last night the Hillcats matched a season high, scoring 11 runs, including a six-run fifth inning, which also matched a season high...The 'Cats' 11 hits in the contest marked the 10th time in the past 11 road games that they have tallied nine or more hits...Lynchburg is nearly an even .500 at 10-11 on the road now, much better than their 4-10 mark at City Stadium...
ENDING ON A WINNING NOTE: Prior to Sunday's 5-3 win over the Pelicans, the Hillcats were 0-9 in series finales this season, and 0-2 in rubber matches of three-game series'...The 'Cats snapped both streaks with the help of starter Dimasther Delgado's second straight quality start, six innings, three runs allowed and INF Joey Terdoslavich's go ahead home run in the top of the sixth inning that put Lynchburg up 5-3...RHP Jeremy Haynes and RHP Eliecer Cardenas closed out the game with three scoreless innings of relief, Haynes earning his first hold, and Cardenas his third save as he tossed a perfect ninth frame...
LEAD WITH YOUR BEST: Contrary to the lack of success closing series' this season, the Hillcats have a winning record in series openers at 7-5, including last night's 11-0 affair...In fact, four of the 'Cats' five biggest wins have come in series openers; 9-1, 4/21 @ FRE; 9-1, 5/2 @ WIL; 8-1, 5/13 @ MYR; and last night...The Hillcats have gone on to win each series after dominating game one...
C-G-S-O G-DOUBLE O-D GOOOOOD: RHP Zeke Spruill was nothing short of magnificient Monday night against the Indians...Coming off three straight losses in which the right-hander had surrendered 14 runs, 12 earned, on 20 hits through 20 innings of work, Spruill dominated Kinston to the tune of three hits, no runs, no walks, and five strikeouts, while inducing two double plays to face just one batter over the minimum...It took the righty just 80 pitches to get through all nine innings...It was the first nine-inning complete game shutout thrown in the Carolina League this season...RHP Joe Wieland of Myrtle Beach tossed a seven-inning shutout on May 11, also against Kinston...Spruill had completed eight innings three times in his professional career, but last night was his first time going nine...No Hillcat starter had even entered the eighth frame yet this season...
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...
SCHLE'S SLAM: C Braeden Schlehuber launched the first Grand Slam for the Hillcats this season in the fifth inning last night...He also doubled in two in fourth giving him a career high six RBI on the night...
KLEIN'CONNECTS' WITH 'CATS: INF Barrett Kleinknecht was promoted to Lynchburg from Low-A Rome on Tuesday, May 10th, arriving that afternoon to start at shortstop for the Hillcats...He went 0-for-4 in his Hillcats debut...Since however, he is 10-for-23 with a two home runs and five RBI in six starts with four multi-hit games...Kleinknecht would have had three long balls for the 'Cats had Ryan Strausborger not brought one back in the eighth inning Sunday afternoon in Myrtle Beach...Kleinknecht has now hit safely in five of his last six games...
PITCHER OF THE WEEK: RHP Arodys Vizcaino was dominant Friday night against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans...He completed a season high seven innings, did not allow a run on just two hits, while striking out six batters, which tied a season high he set in the season opener, April 9...The stellar outing earned Vizcaino his second Pitcher of the Week honor of his career (May 17-23, 2010) and first of the season...He earned the win as the Hillcats rolled to an 8-1 victory...It was his first win since the season opener...
TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER : LHP T.J. House was selected in the 16th round of the 2008 draft out of Picayune (MS) Memorial High School...Spent all of 2010 with Kinston...Tied for third in the Carolina League in starts (26), Fifth in innings pitched (135.2) and eighth in ERA (3.91)...In 2009 while playing for Lake County, ranked fourth among qualifying Indians minor league pitchers with a 3.15 ERA...Currently 1-4 with a 4.61 ERA...
Carolina League Stories from May 17, 2011
- Keys Blank P-Nats, 2-0 - Frederick Keys
- Baserunning Plagues Nats in 2-0 Loss - Potomac Nationals
- Rough Second Inning Dooms Hillcats - Hill City Howlers
- Kinston Beats Lynchburg 4-3 - Kinston Indians
- Rocks & Sox Washed out Tuesday Night - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Sox and Rocks Rained Out - Salem RidgeYaks
- Tuesday Night's Dash Game Postponed - Winston-Salem Dash
- Rain Postpones Tuesday Game in Winston - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Hill City Howlers
- Final Details on Fan Trip to Frederick/Baltimore - Salem RidgeYaks
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