Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes
Published on June 24, 2012 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Hill City Howlers News Release
MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS (36-34, 2-1) vs LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (39-31, 3-0)
June 24th, 2012 -- 6:05 PM
Calvin Falwell Field at Lynchburg City Stadium
RHP Randol Rojas (5-0, 1.47) vs RHP Gus Schlosser (8-3, 3.77)
THE HILLCATS: Last night, the 'Cats completed a three-game sweep of the Salem Red Sox with an 8-5 win...SS Nick Ahmed, 3B/LF Matt Weaver, and 1B Chris Garcia all homered in the game...Weaver's was the go-ahead blast, a two-run shot that made it 7-5 in the sixth inning...RHP Cody Martin (7-5) pitched a perfect seventh inning and was awarded the win...The Hillcats have now won seven in a row and swept two straight series...They are 3-0 to start the second half and in first place in the Northern Division, one game ahead of the Potomac Nationals...
VS. MYRTLE BEACH: Lynchburg is 6-4 against the Pelicans this season...They have won or split each series against Myrtle Beach...This is the Birds second trip to the 'Hill City' this year...Lynchburg won two of three last time...Pitching has dominated the season series as the losing club has been limited to three runs or less in eight of the ten match-ups...Last year, the Hillcats lost the season-series 9-11...Two years removed from the Braves affiliation with Myrtle Beach (now with Lynchburg since 2011), the Hillcats still have three former Pelicans on their roster...C Braeden Schlehuber, OF Adam Milligan, and OF Mycal Jones...
PROSPECTS BEWARE: The Hillcats have seen great success against some of the top rated pitching prospects in the baseball this season...They are responsible for the worst starts of 2011 first round picks Dylan Bundy (Frederick) and Matt Barnes (Salem) in their young careers...Bundy gave up four earned runs in just three and two-thirds innings against the Hillcats last time he faced them June 14...He had never allowed more than two runs in a start other wise, and the shortened outing was the only time he hadn't gone five innings since he was allowed to by his organization...Barnes suffered his career-worst start last night, at the hands of the 'Cats...Completed a career-low three and two-thirds innings and gave up a career-high five earned runs...His previous worst start was when he gave up three runs in four innings on May 30, also against Lynchburg...Other notable triumphs include the Hillcats beating Rangers sixth-best prospect Cody Buckel twice...Buckel leads the Carolina league with a 1.31 ERA and has been called up to Double-A Frisco to start the second half, and the 'Cats gave Salem's closer Michael Olmsted his first blown save two nights ago...Olmsted was 14 of 14 in save chances with a 1.44 ERA...
NOTHING TO PLAY FOR?: The Hillcats clinched a playoff spot in September already by winning the first half, but shot out of the gate in the second half with the same intensity as they did in April...The 'Cats are still 0-21 when trailing after eight innings this season, but when trailing after six in a seven-inning game Friday night they forced extras and completed the comeback in the eleventh...It was their first extra-inning win this year, now 1-3...They went on to win the next two games as well and are in first place again at 3-0...
JUNE BUG: SS Nick Ahmed began the month of June 0-for 12 in his first four games...Since snapping the slide, he has hit his way on safely in 15 of 17 games...He is 23-for-66 (.348)...The only two hitless games mixed in have been seven-inning games in which he went 0-for-1 with a walk and a sacrifice bunt and Friday night went 0-for-3...Has eight doubles, two triples, three home runs, 12 runs, and eleven RBI in his last 17 games...His average was down to .248 (lowest since 4/10, .200)...Has raised it 24 points to .272 during the 17-game stretch...
JUST KEEP WINNING, JUST KEEP WINNING: With another win last night, the 'Cats extended their current winning streak to seven games, which is a season-high...They started the season 5-0 before blowing a four-run, ninth-inning lead in the sixth game of the season...They won five in a row again from 6/9-6/12, the fifth win of the streak clinched the first half championship for Lynchburg and they lost the next day 7-2...This is the longest winning streak for the Hillcats since they won eight straight 6/23-7/3 in 2005...During the current streak their opponents have scored more than three runs once (8-5 last night)...The 'Cats are outscoring the opposition 36-15...Going past the seven game winning streak, the 'Cats have won 12 of their last 13...
NO-NO NORTHCRAFT: RHP Aaron Northcraft threw his first professional no-hitter Friday night in his 55th career start...It was his first shutout and just his second complete game of his career...His first CG was another seven-inning contest of June 9 this season...Friday night he threw seven frames again, walking two and hitting one on his way to history...Secondary to the no-no, Northcraft won his seventh game of the season...He became just the third man in the league to win seven...The other two share a clubhouse with him, RHP Gus Schlosser (8) and RHP J.R. Graham (8)...Now, there are four seven game winners after RHP Cody Martin won his seventh for Lynchburg in relief last night...
MATTY ICE: Utility man Matt Weaver came through in the clutch last night...He hit his seventh home run of the season in the sixth inning breaking a 5-5 tie and giving the Hillcats a 7-5 lead...It was his second go-ahead blast this season and his first home run at home...Also his first two-run shot...He now has two home runs in his last four games...Has hit safely in five of his last six, batting .400 (8-for-20) in that stretch with seven RBI and four runs scored...
TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER: RHP Randol Rojas was signed as an international free agent December 22, 2008 by the Texas Rangers...The Valencia, VZ native dominated in his professional debut with the DSL Rangers in 2009...Went 8-0 with a 0.80 ERA in 13 games, 12 starts...Struck out 48 and only walked six in 67.1 innings...Has steadily moved up each year...Spent 2010 with short-season Spokane...Went 5-4 with a 2.79 ERA in 15 starts...Struck out 40 and walked 20 in 77.1 innings...First full season club in 2011 when he went to Low-A Hickory...Went 5-1 with a 3.52 ERA...Made nine appearances, five starts, before missing the rest of the season with right bicep tendonitis...The injury did not require surgery and he returned to action this season starting the year with Hickory...Went 1-0 in four relief appearances before getting called up to Myrtle Beach April 24...He is 5-0 with a 1.47 ERA in 13 games, 3 starts for the Pelicans...Tonight will be his second appearance, and first start against Lynchburg...gave up three unearned runs on three hits, two walks, and a hit batter in one inning of work May 24 against the Hillcats in Myrtle Beach...
Carolina League Stories from June 24, 2012
- Pelicans Open with a Bang in 5-1 Win - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- 'Cats Streak Snapped in 5-1 Loss - Hill City Howlers
- Karns Carves up Blue Crew - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Workman Dominates Dash; Sox Roll 7-Zip - Salem RidgeYaks
- Salem Stifles Dash in Shutout - Winston-Salem Dash
- Karns Ks 11 in Potomac Win - Potomac Nationals
- Wilson Dazzles in Shutout Win - Frederick Keys
- Wilson, Keys Trip Mudcats - Carolina Mudcats
- Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Hill City Howlers
- INF Michael Johnson Joins Dash - Winston-Salem Dash
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
