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Lynchburg Hillcats

Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes

July 9, 2011 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release


THE HILLCATS: Friday, the Hillcats lost both ends of a doubleheader to the Kinston Indians, losing game one 6-1, and game two 1-0...Christian Bethancourt drove int he only Lynchburg run on the night with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning of game one...The Indians' pitching dominated allowing just the one earned run oneight hits through 14 innings..The Hillcats currently sit in fourth place in the Northern Division at 5-10, 3.5 games back of the Potomac Nationals...

VS. POTOMAC: The Hillcats are 6-3 against the Nationals this season...Lynchburg has taken the last five match-ups in a row, sweeping a four-game (two doubleheaders) series in Potomac 5/28-5/29 in the last meeting...The road team is 7-2 in the season series...Last year, Potomac took the season series 11-8 from Lynchburg...The former Braves Advanced-A affiliate, Myrtle Beach Pelicans, fared even worse dropping 14 of 20 to the Nationals a season ago...

DOUBLE DIPPING: Lynchburg was swept in a doubleheader for the first time all season last night in Kinston...It was their fifth doubleheader of the season...With th two losses, the ‘Cats fell to the second best doubleheader record in the league at 7-3, behind the Winston-Salem Dash who are 6-2...I

TAKING ON WATER: Not talking about the field....The Hillcats have dropped four in a row and have reached a new season-low water mark at 15 games under .500...This is the fourth losing streak of four games or more for the Hillcats all season...For the third time the Kinston Indians are largely responsible for the skid...The ‘Cats lost five straight 5/17-21 beginning with three at Kinston, four, 6/18-24, starting with two against Kinston (with the All-Star break in between), and now have lost four again, the last three coming in Kinston...The only four plus losing streak for Lynchburg that hasn't involved Kinston was the 10-game streak back in April which began in Potomac on game two of the season...

SOMETHING HAD TO GIVE: The Hillcats went into the series opener against the Indians Wednesday with the league's best team batting average (.264), while Kinston boasted the second best ERA (3.22)...Great pitching ruled supreme over great offense, as the Indians' staff limited the Hillcats to just two runs and 12 hits over 23 innings the past three days...Kinston's Ace Drew Pomeranz highlighted the outstanding pitching, tossing seven scoreless in the opener, dropping his league-low ERA to 1.87...It would be Pomeranz' last start with Kinston as he was just promoted AA Akron earlier today...

ARE YOU IN GOOD HANDS: Lynchburg's primary middle infield pair this season has been SS Andrelton Simmons and 2B Phil Gosselin...Simmons, who was thought to be one of the best, if not the best defensive player in the 2010 draft, but also highly sought after for his 98 mph heater...And Gosselin, who was primarily an outfielder in college...The duo got off to a rocky start on the field committing a combined 23 errors in April and May...Things have turned around dramatically with just six miscues between the pair since the start of June, and none have been fielding (five throws and one missed catch)...

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 C Christian Bethancourt (12), 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)...

GOING THE DISTANCE: RHP Zeke Spruill did it again Tuesday night...The bullpen got their fourth night off of the season, and each time it has been thanks to Spruill...His four complete games lead the Carolina League and match a Hillcats franchise record last reached in 1999 by LHP Sam McConnell...He currently ranks first in games started (17) and innings pitched (110) in the Carolina League...Of his 17 starts he has gone seven or more innings nine times, and he has eight quality starts on the season...

SECOND HALF SURGE: C Shawn McGill went into the All-Star break on an 0-for-18 slide...Since the three days off, he's been red hot...He's started eight of the Hillcats first 15 games in the second half at catcher, including seven of the last eight (did not play in game one of the doubleheader yesterday)...In his eight opportunities, McGill is 11-for-29 with two doubles, three RBI, and two runs scored...Currently on a season-high eight-game hitting streak...

TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER: RHP Adam Olbrychowski was selected in the fifth round of the 2007 draft by the Yankees out of Pepperdine...Began his career as a starter, but was converted to a reliever going into the 2009 season...Made it as high as Double-A with the Yankees...Traded to the Nationals for outfielder Justin Maxwell in February, 2011...Has made 20 appearances for Potomac this season with his last four being starts...Pitched twice against the Hillcats in relief...On April 9, pitched one and two-thirds innings, giving up one hit and three runs...On May 28, pitched three and on-third shutout innings, giving up just one hit...Currently 2-4 with a 4.93 ERA and one save...

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