Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes
Published on May 8, 2012 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Hill City Howlers News Release
LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (16-12) VS WILMINGTON BLUE ROCKS (12-17)
May 8th, 2012 -- 6:35 PM
Daniel S. Frawley Stadium
RHP Aaron Northcraft (3-1, 2.25) vs. RHP Tyler Sample (0-3, 5.11)
THE HILLCATS: Sunday, the Hillcats beat the Myrtle Beach Pelicans 4-1...Lynchburg took the series 2-1 over the Pelicans...RHP J.R. Graham (4-0) was excellent...Tossed eight innings, allowed just one run on six hits, walked no one and struck out four on his way to the win...2B Tommy La Stella led the offense...He singled in a run to put the 'Cats up 1-0 in the first, and then scored the ultimate go ahead run after the leading off the third with a double...The Hillcats went up 2-1 and went on to win 4-1...Lynchburg is now 16-12 and is still in first place in the Carolina League Northern Division...
VS. WILMINGTON: The Hillcats face the Blue Rocks for the first time this season, this week in Wilmington...Entering the series, the Rocks are in third place in the Northern Division at 4.5 games behind the first place 'Cats...Last year, the Hillcats won the season series 10-9 with one game scheduled to be played in Wilmington getting cancelled...
TRAVELING NORTH: Lynchburg is the southern-most team in the Northern Division...When traveling north to face divisional foes this season, they are currently 5-1...The swept the Frederick Keys in three-games two weekends ago (4/27-4/29) and took two of three from the Potomac Nationals 4/13-4/15...The 'Cats have traveled south to face Salem and Carolina, but have lost both series, posting a record of 2-5...This the Hillcats first trip to Wilmington this year where they went 4-5 a season ago...
DAY NINE A.G.: C Evan Gattis jumped on a plane eight days ago to join the Double-A Mississippi club in Mobile, AL...Then, the 13-8 Hillcats were averaging 5.9 runs per game...In seven games without Gattis, the team scored 2.86 runs per contest and went 3-4, including losing three games in a row for the first time all season (5/2-5/4)...Gattis meanwhile hasn't missed a beat with Mississippi...He is hitting .321 (9-for-28) with two doubles, four home runs, nine RBI, and six runs scored...His four homers already lead the Mississippi club which only has ten as a team (including Gattis' four)...Gattis currently leads all of Minor League Baseball with 38 RBI on the season...The M-Braves snapped a four-game losing streak in his debut start...
STREAKING CATS: Five regular Hillcats starters are currently on a three-game or better hitting streak entering tonight's game in Wilmington...SS Nick Ahmed has the hottest streak at seven games, one off OF Robby Hefflinger's team-high streak of eight this season...Ahmed has only one multi-hit game in that stretch...He is 8-for-27 (.296) with three doubles and a home run, which makes up 40 percent of his extra-base hits this season...2B Tommy La Stella, 3B, Edward Salcedo, 1B Chris Garcia, and CF Matt Lipka all currently have three-game streaks...
LUCKY NUMBER 13: RHP J.R. Graham, the Braves 13th-rated prospect, pitched a career-high eight innings last Sunday on his way to his fourth win of the season, tied for the most in the Carolina League...He allowed just one run and lowered his ERA to 2.61, which ranks seventh in the league...He has now pitched 38 innings which is tops in the circuit...His even 9.00 baserunners per 9 IP ranks third...
RUNNIN DOWN A DREAM: The Hillcats swiped three more bases Sunday afternoon...SS Nick Ahmed stole a pair of bags and is now tied for the league-lead at 11 with Salem's Jackie Bradley Jr...OF Matt Lipka also had a theft, his seventh of the year...The team has now taken 38 bases this season, second-most in the Carolina League behind the Salem Red Sox with 53...The 'Cats have also been caught a league-high 19 times, however...Ahmed was caught for the first time Saturday night on a third to first move from RHP Nick Tepesch...
TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER: RHP Tyler Sample was selected in the fourth round in 2008 out of Mullen HS in Denver, CO...9th player selected out of Mullen but first since Dan Lyons in 1992 by the Marlins...Was 2009 Appy League "Pitcher of the Week" for the week of 8/31...2010 MID "Pitcher of the Week" for the week of 7/19....Midwest League All-Star in 2010...Has lost 10 or more games each of the last two seasons...Second season in Wilmington...10.6 K per 9 this season......Was ranked #14 prospect by Baseball America in 2010 but dropped out in 2011 and went unranked again this season...Ranked the 8th best prospect in the AZL in 2008...Singed for $500,000...Projects to be a late inning reliever because of tall frame.. He is 6'7...Sample enters tonight's start 0-3 with a 5.11 ERA....Making his frist start against the Hillcats this season...
Carolina League Stories from May 8, 2012
- Font Dominant in Shuout by Mudcats - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Pair of Big Innings Fuel Lynchburg - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Advantageous Hillcats Win 10-4 - Hill City Howlers
- Jimenez, Mudcats Ground Pelicans - Carolina Mudcats
- Salem's Six-Run First Precedes Showers, Suspension - Salem RidgeYaks
- Potomac and Salem Suspend Play in the Fourth - Potomac Nationals
- Dash, Keys Rained out in Frederick Tuesday - Winston-Salem Dash
- Series Opener Washed Out - Frederick Keys
- Blue Rocks Game Notes - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Hill City Howlers
- Aguilar Named Player of the Week - Carolina Mudcats
- RHP Jake Petricka assigned to Winston-Salem from Double-A Birmingham - Winston-Salem Dash
- Mudcats Game Notes - May 8 - Carolina Mudcats
- Dash to Build Five Houses in Local Community - Winston-Salem Dash
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