Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes
June 26, 2012 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release
MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS (36-34, 3-2) vs LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (39-31, 4-1)
June 26th, 2012 -- 7:05 PM
Calvin Falwell Field at Lynchburg City Stadium
RHP Wilmer Font (1-4, 4.27) vs RHP Cody Martin (7-5, 3.41)
THE HILLCATS: Last night, the Hillcats beat the Myrtle Beach Pelicans 3-2...They fell behind 2-0 in the first inning but the Pelicans were shut down the rest of the night...RHP J.R. Graham finished five innings allowing just the two runs, and took a no-decision...The Hillcats tied the game at 2-2 in the third inning...LF Adam Milligan drove in the tying run with an RBI double...He later knocked in the go-ahead run with a single in the seventh...LHP Chasen Shreve earned the win after throwing the sixth and seventh scoreless...The Hillcats are now 4-1 in the second half and in first place in the Northern Division...
VS. MYRTLE BEACH: Lynchburg is 7-5 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 nine of the eleven 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...
PHEW, THAT WAS CLOSE: The Hillcats won by just one run for the 14th time this season last night...They are now 14-6 in games decided by the slimmest of margins...That is the best mark in the Carolina League...Next is Winston-Salem at 12-6 in such games...The Pelicans are an even 13-13 after last night's loss...
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 Saturday 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 four nights ago...Olmsted was 14 of 14 in save chances with a 1.44 ERA...
WORK SMART: OF Adam Milligan went 2-for-4 last night with a double and two RBI...He drove in the tying and go-ahead runs in a 3-2 win...He now has 21 RBI in 37 games for the 'Cats...Hitting just .242 overall but has been able to come through in big situations...Had a walk-off RBI on June 12 against Carolina...Has a hit in 24 of his 37 games and an RBI in 15...Currently, he is hitting .314 (11-for-35) with runners in scoring position and .421 (8-for-19) with runners in scoring position and two outs...
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 16 of 19 games...He is 24-for-73 (.329)...Has eight doubles, two triples, three home runs, thirteen runs, and twelve RBI in his last nineteen games...His average was down to .248 (lowest since 4/10, .200)...Has raised it 21 points to .269 during the 19-game stretch...
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...
I CAN BE, CENTER FIELD: OF Mycal Jones went 2-for-5 with two runs scored last night extending his current hit streak to seven games...His longest streak since hitting in nine straight from August 17-25 in 2011 with Double-A Mississippi...He is batting .385 (10-for-26) during the streak with four doubles, two RBI, and four runs scored...One of the two runs was the walk-off winner in Friday night's 4-3 extra inning win over the Salem Red Sox...He scored on Matt Weaver's squeeze bunt in the bottom of the eleventh...Jones has taken over center field duties yet again the past three nights with OF Matt Lipka out...Jones is hitting .286 when playing center field this season as opposed to just .207 when playing left field...The seven-game streak has raised his batting average 23 points, from .231 to .254 heading into tonight...
TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER: RHP Wilmer Font was signed as a Minor League Free Agent in 2006 at 16 years-old...Made his professional debut with the AZL Rangers in 2007...Went 2-3 with a 4.53 ERA in 14 appearances, 10 starts...Spent 2008 with AZL before moving up to Low-A Hickory in 2009...Threw a career-high 108.1 innings, 29 games, 24 starts...Struck out 105 but also walked 59...Returned to Hickory in 2010, and earned a promotion to Advanced-A Bakersfield after seven starts...Went 1-2 with a 3.86 ERA in nine starts, struck out 52 and walked 32 in 49 innings...Missed all of 2011 following 'Tommy John' surgery...Was rated the 14th-best Rangers prospect heading into the 2011 season, but has dropped out of the top-30 in 2012...Was added to the 40-man roster in November, 2011 as protection from the Rule 5 draft...Has posted a 1-4 record with a 4.27 ERA through 15 appearances, 14 starts, with the Pelicans this season...Has struck out 66 in just 52.2 innings pitched...In two starts against the Hillcats, he has thrown eight innings, allowed nine runs on ten hits while walking four and striking out eleven...Last just two and two-thirds innings last time against the 'Cats...First start in Lynchburg tonight...
Carolina League Stories from June 26, 2012
- Resilient Red Sox Defeat Dash 6-5 in 13 Innings - Salem Red Sox
- Dash Lose Lead in Ninth, Fall in 13 - Winston-Salem Dash
- Wilmington Rocks P-Nats 11-2 - Potomac Nationals
- Aguilar, Mudcats Blast Keys - Carolina Mudcats
- Nicholas, Font Push Birds to 3-0 Win - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Scoreless Streak Ends in Loss - Frederick Keys
- Hillcats Shutout in Pelican Gem - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Mudcats Visit WakeMed Children's Hospital - Carolina Mudcats
- Blue Rocks Game Notes - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Dash Involved in Series of Player Promotions - Winston-Salem Dash
- Diversity Initiative on Display During All-Star Game - Winston-Salem Dash
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