Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes
June 16, 2011 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release
KINSTON INDIANS (35-30) vs LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (29-37)
June 16th, 2011 -- 7:05 PM
Calvin Falwell Field at Lynchburg City Stadium
LHP Drew Pomeranz (2-2, 2.01) vs RHP Aaron Shafer (1-0, 2.20)
THE HILLCATS: Wednesday, the Hillcats lost to the Wilmington Blue Rocks 4-3...Lynchburg came from behind twice, down 1-0, and 2-1, to eventually lead 3-2 after the seventh; but RHP Andrew Wilson surrendered a solo homer to John Whittleman in the eighth to tie it, and then walked a batter who would eventually come around to score the game winning run...The Hillcats sit in third place in the Carolina League Northern Division, 12.0 games back of the first place Frederick Keys...
VS. KINSTON: The Hillcats are 2-5 against the Indians this season...Both wins for the Hillcats have been shutouts...Despite the losing record, the 'Cats have outscored Kinston 27-19...Lynchburg took the 2010 season series 14-6...However, the Hillcats have switched affiliations since last season...The Myrtle Beach Pelicans (2010 Braves Advance-A affiliate) lost the season series 8-12 against the Indians a season ago...
HOMESTAND: Lynchburg is at the half-way point of their current eight-game in seven day homestand...They split their series with the Blue Rocks 2-2, and will welcome the Kinston Indians to town tonight for another four-game set...The Indians are just 1.5 games behind the Myrtle Beach Pelicans in the Southern Division, so the Hillcats while eliminated from the first half race will have the chance to play spoiler this weekend as the first comes to an end Sunday...
BEST OF THE BRAVOS: Seven members of the Hillcats are ranked amongst the top 30 prospects in the Braves organization according to Baseball America...That list includes 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)...
ALL-STAR REVISION: OF Adam Milligan has been named to the Carolina League All-Star team to replace injured teammate Todd Cunningham as a reserve outfielder...Milligan, who had a rather slow start to the season, hitting just .224 and driving in just 10 runs through his first 23 games before hitting the DL with a hamstring injury May 10...Since returning May 17, he has hit .311 (33-for-106) through 29 games, raising his batting average 48 points to .272...He's also driven in 24 runs in that span, giving him 34 on the season, tied with Joey Terdoslavich for the team-high...Five home runs on either side of the injury have him at 10 on the season, tied for third in the league...Plate discipline may be partly responsible for the offensive surge, as Milligan has drawn 12 walks post-injury, after taking just two free passes prior...
LEADING OFF FOR THE HILLCATS: OF Keenan Wiley stepped into the leadoff spot the past four games of the current homestand as Todd Cunningham has been sidelined due to injury...Wiley went just 3-for-14 in that stretch, but reached base safely in each game, scoring a run three of them...He has now batted first six times this season, ans i batting .200 (5-for-25) overall in the role...
BE'WARE' OF FLYING OBJECTS: While attempting to score on a wild pitch last night, OF L.V. Ware was hit in the chest by a wild throw from the catcher...He scored and stayed in the game...
JOE KNOWS EXTRA BASES: INF Joe Leonard entered the Wilmington series in a 2-for-24 slump...Through the first three games of the series, he went 5-for-9 with a home run and four doubles, driving in and scoring three runs each...Last night, the modest three-game hit-streak came to a screeching halt as Leonard went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts...Leonard had missed a week's worth of games May 28-June 5 with a sore elbow...In his first seven games back before Monday night, he was just 4-for-29 with 11 strikeouts since returning...After striking out just 25 times in his first 38 games before sitting out a week, he has gone down on strikes 15 times in 11 games since rejoining the lineup...
TOUGH BREAK: C Braeden Schlehuber hit the disabled list again last Friday...While attempting to put down a sacrifice bunt in the seventh inning Thursday night, his right middle finger was struck by the pitch...The ball split open the tip of his finger so bad that he would have to exit the game and require stitches...C Shawn McGill ran in from the bullpen to enter the at-bat with a 1-2 count, runners at first and second and the score tied 1-1...He would ground into a 6-4-3 double play, adding insult to injury as they say...
PLAYER OF THE MONTH: INF Joey Terdoslavich was honored as the Carolina League Player of the Month for May as voted by the league's managers...Terdoslavich hit .304 (31-for-102) with four home runs and 20 RBI in 27 games last month...He is second in the league in home runs with 11 on the season...He also racked up 11 doubles in May, and currently has 22 total, tying him for second in the league as well...His average went from .243 to .279 during the month...The honor was the first weekly or monthly award of his career...So far in June, he is hitting just .236 with no home runs, and three RBI in 15 games...
TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER: LHP Drew Pomeranz was selected fifth overall in the 2010 draft by the Indians out of Ole Miss...In his junior season at Ole Miss, went 9-2 with a 2.24 ERA with 139 strikeouts in 16 starts...The 139 strikeouts were third most of any NCAA Division I pitcher...Named SEC Pitcher of the Year, and first team All-American from NCBWA...Older brother, Stuart, pitched for six seasons in the St. Louis and Colorado systems...Leads the Carolina League in ERA (2.01), fifth in strikeouts (70) and third in batting average against (.200)...Faced the Hillcats twice this year...The first time, on May 1, gave up one unearned run on four hits in five and one-third innings pitched...The other start, May 18, gave up two runs on five hits in six innings pitched...Did not record a decision in either game...Currently 2-2 with a 2.01 ERA...
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Carolina League Stories from June 16, 2011
- Nats Drop Ugly Opener 10-3 - Potomac Nationals
- Hillcats Weather the Storm But Fall in Extras - Lynchburg Hillcats
- K-Tribe Beats Lynchburg 2-1 in 10 Innings - Kinston Indians
- Red Sox Erupt for 16 Hits, Demolish Nats 10-3 - Salem Red Sox
- Pelicans Shell Keys 11-1 - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Keys Absorb Second Straight Blowout Loss - Frederick Keys
- Rocks on Top by Nine Runs as Game Suspended in Fourth - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Dash & Rocks Suspended by Rain - Winston-Salem Dash
- K-Tribe Notes for Thursday at Lynchburg - Kinston Indians
- Pelicans Game Notes - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes - Winston-Salem Dash
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