Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes
Published on May 23, 2013 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Hill City Howlers News Release
LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (24-19) vs. WILMINGTON BLUE ROCKS (21-24)
May 23rd, 2013 -- 10:35 AM
Frawley Stadium
RHP Greg Ross (2-0, 4.50) vs. LHP John Lamb (2-4, 6.35)
THE HILLCATS: Beat the Wilmington Blue Rocks 5-1 last night...RHP Ryan Weber made his return to the rotation tossing four innings on a pitch count...He allowed just one run on two hits...LF Robby Hefflinger hit his 11th home run of the season, which leads the league...Lynchburg also took advantage of four Wilmington errors in the seventh inning to plate three unearned runs expanding their lead to 5-1 and holding it there...The 'Cats are now 24-19, still in first place in the Northern Division...
VS. WILMINGTON: The Hillcats are 3-2 against the Blue Rocks this year, taking the first series in Lynchburg May 3-5, and now splitting the first two in Wilmington this week...Wilmington is the last Carolina League visit for the Hillcats to complete their circuit of the league this year...Pitching has dominated this series...The 'Cats have a 2.25 ERA and the Rocks own a 2.27 ERA through the first five games...Last year, the season-series was split 10-10...The Hillcats went 4-6 at Frawley Stadium...
SPINNING A [WEB] GEM: RHP Ryan Weber returned to the mound as a starter for the first time since April 20 last night...He hit the DL in late April with shoulder soreness, returned in May and made four relief appearances before starting again last night...He was still on a pitch count, but made it through four masterful innings...He gave up one run on two hits while striking out two...He induced nine ground outs and not a single fly out...He now owns a 4.50 ground out to air out ratio...
THAT'S GOTTA FEEL BETTER: The Hillcats scored before their opponent last night for the first time in nine games...They went 4-4 in eight straight contests prior to last night when the opposition struck first...The Hillcats are 11-16 when opponents score first, and 13-3 when scoring first...
SKINNER!: OF Will Skinner is back in the lineup today for the first time since May 12...He has missed over a week with a "pink eye"...He tried to play with the swollen right eye Sunday May 12 in Carolina and went 0-for-5...Prior to that he had been on a five game hitting streak, batting .368 (7-for-19) with a double, two home runs, six RBI, and six runs scored during the streak...Raised his average from .130 to .192, but the 0-for outing dropped it back to .179...He'll return to the lineup and give OF Matt Lipka a rest in center field...Skinner has played center field once this season, going 0-for-4 April 24 in Winston-Salem...
PACHECO FINDING STRIDE: LHP Ronan Pacheco currently holds a consecutive scoreless inning streak of 6.1 frames...Owns the lowest ERA on the team at 1.71...During the scoreless streak, he has struck out nine batters, allowed two hits, and walked just one batter...That one walk came 5.1 innings ago, which is his longest stretch without issuing a free pass on the season...Overall, he has walked 16 in 21 innings of work, but has also fanned 22 batters...The first-year side-armer has a 3.44 groundout to air out ratio...He finally gave up his first hit to a lefty on Sunday...It was OF Jordan Smith of Carolina...On the season, lefties are 1-for-27 (.037) against the southpaw...
WEAVING THROUGH: UTL Matt Weaver went 1-for-3 last night extending his current hitting streak to a season-best six games...It is the longest active streak for the Hillcats...He's batting.400 (8-for-20) with a double, a triple, five RBI, and three runs scored during the streak...He has played in 29 of 43 Hillcats games this season, making his way into the lineup where ever there is room, playing every infield spot, right and center field...Lately, he has picked up some regular playing time due to OF Will Skinner being out, and now should be filling in at first base for 1B William Beckwith who has been designated back to Rookie-level Danville temporarily...Today, he plays in his seventh consecutive game...His longest streak prior was five games in a row...Weaver is also leading off with Lipka sitting...He was the primary leadoff replacement when Lipka was batting down in the order earlier this season...So far, Weaver is batting just .179 (5-for-28) as a leadoff hitter...
ROAD WARRIOR: 2B Ross Heffley went 1-for-3 Tuesday night extending his road hitting streak to nine games...That is tied for the fifth-longest road hitting streak in the league this season...Currently batting .350 (13-for-38) with six doubles, three RBI, and six runs scored in those nine games...The longest road streak belongs to Frederick's Johnny Ruettiger, an active streak of 14 games...He's playing at home today...
TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER: LHP John Lamb was selected in the fifth round of the 2008 draft by the Royals out of Laguna Hills High School...Won a conference championship his junior year, posting a 9-2 record and a 1.48 ERA...Also batted .396 and won Pacific Coast League Player of the Year honors...Missed his entire senior season due to a car accident...Professional debut came in 2009 with Rookie-level Burlington (2-2, 3.95)...Played with four levels in 2010, Rookie-level Idaho Falls, Low-A Burlington, Hi-A Wilmington, and Double-A Northwest Arkansas...Listed as having the "Best Changeup" in the system going into 2011...Made eight starts for Northwest Arkansas before needing "Tommy John"surgery...Made only six starts in 2012...Surrendered 10 earned runs in 13 innings at the Rookie-level...Enters 2013 as the 11th-rated prospect in the organization...Allowed two or fewer runs in first four starts, but has allowed five or more in last three starts...His ERA spiking to 6.35 from 3.32...
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