Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes
Published on August 29, 2012 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release
LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (70-64, 31-33) at WINSTON-SALEM DASH (83-49, 39-24)
August 29th, 2012 -- 7:00 PM
BB&T Ballpark
LHP Dimasther Delgado (7-6, 3.88) vs RHP Justin Collop (9-3, 3.91)
THE HILLCATS: The Hillcats beat the Winston-Salem Dash last night 2-1...The game was cut short in the bottom of the seventh inning due to rain...The Dash were batting with nobody on and two outs when the rain became too much to continue play...The game was halted for 52 minutes before it was officially called...RHP Aaron Northcraft (9-11) earned the win after giving up just one run over six innings...The 'Cats are now 31-33 in the second half and are in third place in the Northern Division, 2.5 games out of first, behind the Wilmington Blue Rocks...
VS. WINSTON-SALEM: Lynchburg is 9-8 against the Dash this season...The 'Cats are 3-4 in Winston-Salem this year losing both prior series 2-1...The Dash are 46-22 at home this season, best in full season minor league baseball...Of the 17 meetings so far, six have been decided by five runs or more, while five have gone to to extra innings...There was one game that fell into both distinctions...Both teams won the first half in their respective divisions and are headed to the playoffs...
THE ROAD? STRETCH: The final week of the regular season began last night, with the 'Cats final seven games being played on the road...The Dash and Myrtle Beach Pelicans are the two teams on Lynchburg's schedule, both of whom are playoff bound...All four teams in the Northern Division are currently separated by three games...
STARTS AT THE TOP: OF Dan Brewer has been moved to the leadoff spot for the past three games, but is 0-for-9 since the move...OF Mycal Jones moved down to the seventh spot (2-for-8)...Brewer had been hitting third, where he posted a .313 clip in 26 games, but now is hitting just .107 in seven games while starting atop the lineup...Jones took over the leadoff spot when OF Matt Lipka hit the DL in June...The Hillcats went 35-17 in the 51 games that Lipka played in this season, all in the leadoff position...They are 35-47 without him in the lineup...
SPINA ME RIGHT ROUND: 1B Michael Spina went 1-for-3 last night...Currently on a seven-game hitting streak, batting .375 (9-for-24), his best streak as a Hillcat...Spina went 5-for-14 in his first four games with the 'Cats from July 21-24 with two doubles, five RBIs, and a runs scored...He has five RBIs on his current streak as well, but with three doubles, a triple, a home run, and has scored three runs...The triple was his first of the season, fifth of his career...Between the two streaks, he hit just .114 (4-for-35) in 13 games...He's currently hitting .247 with the Hillcats, but combined with his number with Double-A Midland (Oakland), he is batting .191 this season...Worst in all of full season minor league baseball...
MORE LIKE A GORILLA: On the verge of going near two months without a win, RHP Aaron Northcraft earned his first victory since July 4 last night...He left the game with just a one-run lead after the sixth inning, but only needed two outs from his bullpen before Mother Nature took care of the rest...A 52-minute rain delay commenced with two outs in the bottom of the seventh eventually ending the game early and handing Northcraft the win...He had posted a 5.59 ERA since July 4 heading into last night's start, going 0-7 over nine starts...
LA STELLA RETURNS: 2B Tommy La Stella hadn't seen Carolina League action since July 11, when Heiker Meneses of Salem collided with him at first base on a sacrifice bunt...La Stella's first action back was late in game one Sunday...He pinch-hit with two-outs and the bases empty, the 'Cats down by one in their final at-bats...He singled and went stranded on second base...He started game two and went 2-for-2 with a sacrifice fly...Through three games (two starts) back, he is 5-for-6 with an RBI, two runs scored, and a walk...Removing his injury game which he left after one at-bat (0-for-1), he is on a seven-game hitting streak dating back to July 6...Batting .591 (13-for-22) for the streak, lifting his average from .260 to .285...That's his highest mark since he was hitting .286 June 2...
TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER: RHP Justin Collop was selected in the sixth round of the 2009 draft by the White Sox out of the University of Toledo...Never posted an ERA lover than 5.33 in three years of college, but his control, make-up, and bevy of pitches made him appealing to the White Sox...Throws a two-seam fastball, slider, change-up, and split-finger pitch...Debuted with Short-season Great Falls in 2009...Went 3-2 with a 2.72 ERA in 15 games, 7 starts...Went to Low-A Kannapolis in 2010...Went 9-12 with a 4.26 ERA...Tied for the team-high with 26 starts..Tied the league lead in complete games (3), third in innings pitched (154.1), tied for fourth in strikeouts (130), and tied for fourth in losses...Started last year with Winston-Salem...Went 2-3 with a 4.17 ERA in 15 games, 6 starts...Missed all of July, and returned in the second week of August with Kannapolis, where he finished the year 1-0 with a 3.55 ERA in six appearances...This season he is 9-3 with a 3.91 ERA in 29 games, 15 starts...
Carolina League Stories from August 29, 2012
- Lynchburg Deals Dash Tough 13-Inning Loss - Winston-Salem Dash
- La Stella Allows Five Hits in 13-Inning Hillcat Win - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Hedman's Blast Wins It: Salem Prevails 8-6 in 10 - Salem Red Sox
- Keys Fall to Brink of Elimination - Frederick Keys
- Pelicans Can't Comeback Late in Pitcher's Duel - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Wild Seventh Spirits Rocks to Triumph - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Hankins' Big Hits Topple P-Nats - Carolina Mudcats
- Potomac Drops Critical Game to Carolina 6-2 - Potomac Nationals
- Braves Announce Three Current and Three Former Hillcats to the AZL - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Anthony Rendon and Jason Martinson to Arizona Fall League - Potomac Nationals
- Merrifield Wins Minker Award - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Carl & Calixte to Play in Arizona Fall League - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Blue Rocks Game Notes - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Dash Help Local Challenger Team Make Trip to Williamsport - Winston-Salem Dash
- Seven Mudcats to Play in Prestigious Arizona Fall League - Carolina Mudcats
- Pelicans First Team in MiLB to Offer Paperless Ticketing - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Courtney Hawkins Joins Dash - Winston-Salem Dash
- Early Pelican Power Not Enough as Rocks Comeback - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Wilmington Rocks Pelicans in McElwee's Debut - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Pelicans Put Playoff Tickets on Sale - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
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