Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes
Published on May 18, 2012 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Hill City Howlers News Release
LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (22-16) @ WINSTON-SALEM DASH (22-16)
May 18th, 2012 -- 7:00 PM
BB&T Ballpark
RHP Aaron Northcraft (4-2, 3.11) vs RHP Jake Petricka (3-3, 5.10)
THE HILLCATS: Last night, the Hillcats lost to the Wilmington Blue Rocks 2-1...RHP J.R. Graham turned in another great outing but took his fourth no decision of the season...Went six innings, gave up one unearned run on one hit and a walk, while striking six but exited in the seventh in a 1-1 tie...Lynchburg's one run came from a solo homer off the bat of OF Robby Hefflinger...The Blue Rocks added their game-winning score in the seventh against RHP Brett Cammons, and he took his first loss of the season...The Hillcats are now 22-16 and remain in first place in the Northern Division...
VS. WINSTON-SALEM: Lynchburg makes its first trip to BB&T Ballpark this weekend...Last weekend, the Dash were in the "Hill City" for a three-game set...The 'Cats took two of three...The 2011 season series went the way of the Dash 12-8 with the Dash winning seven of ten match-ups in Winston-Salem...
IT USUALLY TAKES MORE THAN THAT: The Hillcats lost 2-1 last night...It was just their second loss this season when limiting the opposition to four or less runs...The last time it happened was on May 3 when they lost to the Carolina Mudcats 3-0 in Lynchburg...The Hillcats are 18-2 when their opponents score four or less this year...
LOCK IT UP: The Lynchburg bullpen took their sixth loss of the season last night and second in consecutive nights...RHP Brett Cammons swallowed his first loss after allowing a run in the seventh inning which put the Hillcats down 2-1...
TRAVELING SOUTH: When playing south of Lynchburg this year, the 22-16 Hillcats are just 2-5...They lost three of four in Zebulon, NC against the Mudcats, and two of three in Salem against the Red Sox...They still haven't traveled to Myrtle Beach and this is their first time in Winston-Salem...Traveling north has been much friendlier, posting a 7-2 record...
HOMERING HILLCATS: The Hillcats have homered in each of their last five games, which is their longest team streak since C Evan Gattis was promoted to Double-A May 1...Gattis still leads the league with nine homers, nearly three weeks later...The five-game stretch has come immediately following a three-game drought in the power department from May 10-12...That is the only three-game homerless stretch of the season for the Hillcats who have 36 on the season, just three behind the Dash with 39 for the best total in the circuit...Third-most is 24 (Carolina and Frederick)...
HE'S HEATING UP: OF Robby Hefflinger went 1-for-4 last night with a solo home run and has not hit safely in three straight games...Something he's done just three times this season...The last came April 27-29...He went 3-for-11 in that stretch with three singles, no runs or RBI...Over the last three games, he is 3-for-10 with two home runs, three RBI, and four runs scored...He still hasn't had a multi-hit game since April 17, when he was hitting .389...Since that game, he is just 10-for-71 (.141) and his average has dipped 165 points (.224)...After going 12 games without scoring a run and 17 without an RBI, he has at least one of each the last three games...
MILLING AROUND IN HI-A: OF Adam Milligan was reassigned to Advanced-A Lynchburg yesterday from Double-A Mississippi...The Braves' sixth round pick in 2008, now playing his fourth season of professional ball has seen Carolina League action in each of his four years...Played six games for Myrtle Beach in 2009, and spent all of 2010 (Myrtle Beach) and 2011 (Lynchburg) in the Carolina League as well, when he's been healthy...The Braves' 22nd-ranked prospect hit just .176 through 30 games at Double-A to start the year, with just one home run...
GETTIN' HIS GROOVE BACK: 2B Tommy La Stella went 1-for-4 last night...He is now on a six-game hitting streak since snapping an 0-for-17 slide in his final at-bat Saturday night...Went hitless in three straight games (5/8-5/11)...Prior to that, he had only three games all season in which he didn't have a hit...The six-game streak matches his season-best...He is batting .348 (8-for-23) during his streak with a home run, a double, four RBI, and four runs scored...Has not struck out in seven games...His 28.60 plate appearances per strikeout this season is far and away the best in the league, next best is 11.00...
ANY WAY YOU CAN: 1B Chris Garcia went 1-for-3 with a walk last night...He has now reached base safely in 17 straight games, and has a hit in 14 of those games...Hitting .423 (22-for-52) in that stretch with six doubles, two home runs, 13 RBI, and nine runs scored...Currently ranks third in batting (.352) and second in on-base percentage (.471) in the league...
TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER: RHP Jake Petricka was a second round pick in the 2010 draft by the White Sox out of Indiana State University...Entered the 2011 season ranked as the seventh best prospect in the White Sox organization by Baseball America...Split 2010 between Bristol and Knnapolis after signing...Rated by BA as having the best fastball in the White Sox 2010 draft class, after being clocked at 98 MPH in college and 100 during his pro debut...2011, went 3-1 with a 2.81 ERA in eight starts for Kannapolis...Called up to Winston-Salem June 27...Went 4-7 with a 4.39 ERA in 13 starts for the Dash...Made two starts against the Hillcats (both at City Stadium)...Went 0-1 surrendering eight earned runs in 11.2 innings...Entered 2012 as the fourth-rated prospect in the White Sox organization...Currently 3-3 with a 5.10 ERA in six starts this season for the Dash...Went six innings in Lynchburg last Sunday, allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits and a walk while striking out five...Earned the win to avoid his team being swept...Made a spot start for Double-A Birmingham on May 7...Walked seven in five innings...Gave up three runs and lost...
Carolina League Stories from May 18, 2012
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- Birds Stumble in 9th to Fall at Wilmington - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Birds Stumble in 9th to Fall at Wilmington - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Late Inning Blooper Costs 'Cats - Hill City Howlers
- Blue Rocks Game Notes - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Hill City Howlers
- Mudcats Game Notes - May 18 - Carolina Mudcats
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