Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes
Published on April 17, 2013 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Hill City Howlers News Release
LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (6-5) at FREDERICK KEYS (7-4)
April 17th, 2013 -- 7:00 PM
Harry Grove Stadium
RHP A.J. Holland (0-0, 5.59) vs. LHP Tim Berry (0-0, 1.64)
THE HILLCATS: Dropped their second straight game to the Frederick Keys 6-5 last night...Lynchburg tailed 5-1 heading into the fifth inning...They proceeded to bat all nine in the lineup and score four runs to tie the game...OF Matt Lipka nearly gave the Hillcats the lead when he hit a ball high and deep to left field...The ball bounced back into left field of the wall...The Hillcats contested homer (claiming the ball bounced off the second wall), but the ruling was the ball stayed in play...Two runs scored, rather than a potential four for a grand slam...Lipka and Cory Brownsten would then be stranded on the bases...The Keys scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth on wild throw to third base on a Sammie Starr stolen base...Frederick took over sole possession of first place improving to 7-4, while the Hillcats fell to 6-5...
VS. FREDERICK: Lynchburg is 0-2 versus the Keys this season...In 2012, the Hillcats took the season series 11-9...At one point the Hillcats won seven straight match-ups with the Keys, but then Frederick to victories in the final six meetings (all of the second half games)...Frederick (2011) and Lynchburg (2012) are the two most recent champions of the Carolina League...
SUPER SERIAL: The Hillcats clinched their first series loss of the season last night...They had won their first three series of the year, each 2-1...They accomplished the same feat a year ago on their way to a first half championship, and eventually won the Mills Cup Championship...Last year, their high was four-straight series wins from June 8-23...They went 12-3 in that span...They faced the Keys nine times during that stretch...A five game set thanks to back-to-back rainouts in April and then a scheduled four-game series to end the first half (the Hillcats swept)...
WELCOME BACK: SS Elmer Reyes returned to the lineup Monday night after missing four games with a strained thumb...He suffered the injury diving for a groundball last Wednesday in Lynchburg...Finished that game...He went 2-for-4 Monday night in his return including an RBI-single in his first at-bat back...Collected two RBI in the game and scored a run as well...Then, went 1-for-3 last night with an RBI and a run scored...Now batting .429 (12-for-28) through seven games with three doubles, seven RBI, and four runs scored...His .429 clip is better than any qualified batting average in the league but he is two plate appearances short of qualifying...
NO HARM, NO FOUL: Lynchburg committed four errors last night, and C Cory Brownsten was charged with two passed balls...However, all six Frederick runs were earned...The Hillcats have committed the most errors in the league so far (22) and own the lowest fielding percentage (.948)...The two passed balls were their first of the season...Despite the most errors, the 'Cats are tied with the Carolina Mudcats for the fourth-fewest unearned runs allowed...Three teams having more and three teams having less in the league this season...
FREDERICK EXPERIENCE: The Keys may have one of the most experienced team's you'll see at the Advanced-A level, as 15 of their active 25-man roster spent time last season at the Advanced-A level or higher, and seven played Triple-A ball...The most familiar face on the team is OF Steve Bumbry who is playing in Frederick for a third season...He has played in 177 games for the Keys coming into tonight...
RALLY 'CATS: The Hillcats scored five runs last night in a span of eight batters last night from the end of their fourth inning through most of the fifth...Prior to their first run of the game, the first 11 batters were retired in order...Then, 1B William Beckwith broke-up the perfect game, no hitter, and shutout with a solo blast...After a four-run rally (with nobody out) in the fifth frame, 10 more Hillcats were retired in order...There was an eighth inning single, before the final four were set down to end the game...
I DON'T KNOW'S ON THIRD: 3B Kyle Kubitza committed his league-leading fifth error of the season last night...He holds a fielding percentage of just .815 so far...Last year, he was charged with 20 errors in 90 games all of last season with Low-A Rome...The Hillcats are one season removed from 3B Edward Salcedo leading the Carolina League (and setting a new Hillcats single-season record) with 42 errors at third base...Coincidentally, Salcedo broke a mark set by 3B Aramis Ramirez (39) back in 1997...
BECKWITH STREAK: 1B William Beckwith went 2-for-4 last night with a solo home run...It was his third home run of the season...Currently on a season-high four-game hitting streak...Batting .353 (6-for-17) with a home run, two RBI, and two runs scored during the stretch...
TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER: LHP Tim Berry was selected in the 50th round by the Orioles in the 2009 draft out of San Marcos High School (CA)...He was committed to play at the University of Oregon...He underwent Tommy John surgery his senior year...He didn't appear in a professional game until June 22, 2010 with the Gulf Coast League Orioles...Completed 20 innings that summer...Went 0-1, with a 1.35 ERA, never throwing more than three innings in an appearance...Spent 2011 with Low-A Delmarva (3-7, 5.17)...Returned in 2012, but saw a promotion to Frederick and to Double-A Bowie last year...Went 5-5, with 4.32 ERA for the Keys in 15 appearance, 13 starts...Was ranked the 20th-best prospect in the system in 2012, and moved up to 11th this season...Throws three pitches, with a fastball in the low to mid 90s...Pitched against Lynchburg once last season, in relief (3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K)...
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