CarL1 Lynchburg Hillcats

Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes

Published on April 19, 2014 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release


LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (9-6) vs. POTOMAC NATIONALS (8-7)

April 19th, 2014 -- 6:05 PM

Calvin Falwell Field at Lynchburg City Stadium

RHP Mauricio Cabrera (0-0, 3.68) vs. RHP Brian Rauh (0-1, 4.97)

LAST TIME OUT: Last night the Hillcats beat the Potomac Nationals 7-6 in 12 innings courtesy of a walk-off solo home run off the bat of 3B Kevin Ahrens...The Hillcats led 5-0 early thanks to six hits and a couple errors in the first two innings...Meanwhile, RHP Andrew Waszak retired nine of the first 10 Potomac batters on the night, getting through the first three innings scoreless...Then, he surrendered five hits, including a two-run homer to 3B Oscar Tejeda in the fourth...The Nationals tied the score 5-5 in the fourth, and took the lead 6-5 with a home run from 1B Kevin Keyes in the fifth...The Hillcats evened the score once again with a run in the sixth...2B Jose Peraza delivered a sac fly...From that point on, the Nationals only recorded one more hit over the last six innings...The Hillcats notched three hits but no runs from the seventh though the 11th, and then Ahrens ended the game in the 12th...RHP Brandon Cunniff (1-0) completed three scoreless innings of relief in extras and earned the win for Lynchburg...The Hillcats improved to 9-6 and are now once again alone in first place in the Northern Division...

VS. POTOMAC: The Hillcats are 3-1 against the Nationals this year...They beat the P-Nats twice last week in Woodbridge but lost the finale, failing to complete a sweep...Starting pitching had a tough time in that first series...Of the 39 runs scored between the two clubs in three games, 26 of those runs scored in the first three innings, and 29 scored off the starters...The Hillcats outscored Potomac 24-15, notching their largest win of the season 9-1 in the middle game of the series...

CHECK OUT THE P-NATS: 15 games into the season, the Potomac Nationals rank last in the Carolina League in ERA (4.88) and second to last in batting average (.212)...Yet, the P-Nats are 8-7 and one game out of first place in the Northern Division...Overall they have been outscored by opponents 82-68 this season, the second worst run differential in the league...In their three previous losses, before last night's extra-inning affair, they've been outscored 30-5, which includes a 9-1 loss to the Hillcats last week...Meanwhile, six of their eight wins have been by two runs or less...Last night was actually their first one-run loss of the season...They've been good at protecting leads as they are 6-0 when scoring first this season...

COMEBACK 'CATS AT IT AGAIN: The Hillcats led 5-0 last night, but eventually were down 6-5 after five innings...They came back to win 7-6 in 12 innings thanks to their THIRD walk-off win of the season...Overall the Hillcats at 4-4 at home this season, so 75% of their home wins are of the walk-off variety, and two of those wins have come in extra innings...The 'Cats are 3-3 when trailing after five innings, every other team in the circuit is at least three games under .500...They are also the only team with a win when trailing after eight innings...

EXTRA EXTRA: There have been five extra-inning games played in the Carolina League so far this season, and three have included the Hillcats...The two longest have also involved the 'Cats...Lynchburg beat the Frederick Keys in 12 innings Monday, and the Nationals in 12 innings last night...The 'Cats are 3-0 in extra-inning games this season...They have trailed at some point in each of those games...

CLOSE GAMES: After last night's 7-6 win, the 9-6 Hillcats are now 6-0 in one-run ball games...Only one other team in the league is undefeated in such games...The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are 2-0...

RUNNING SILLY: OF Kyle Wren stole two more bases last night, giving him six in the last two games, and a league-best 11 through 15 games this season...The 2013 eighth round pick stole 35 bases in 53 games last year....Trying to keep pace is his teammate, INF Jose Peraza...Peraza swiped his ninth base of the season last night, and he ranks second in the Carolina League...Together they rank second in all of Minor League Baseball in stolen bases among two teammates...The only duo with more are playing for the Great Lakes Loons in the Midwest League, OFs Malcolm Holland and Jacob Scavuzzo, who have 21 combined...Holland leads all the minor leagues with 14, and Wren is tied for the third-most...

NOT A MATTER OF IF: RHP Brandon Cunniff completed his longest outing of the season last night, throwing three scoreless frames, in extra innings no less...He has now begun the season with 10 consecutive scoreless frames, which is the longest active scoreless streak for a Hillcats pitcher, and second longest of the season...RHP Wes Parsons put together an 11.1 innings streak over two starts earlier this season...Cunniff is 2-for-2 in save opportunities and last night earned his first win...He has walked six this season, but two have been intentional, and struck out 12...

OK, CLEAN UP AND GO HOME: 3B Kevin Ahrens was 0-for-5 with three strikeouts and two rollers to short going into his sixth plate appearance in the 12th inning last night...With the bases empty and two outs he launched a hanging curveball out to left field for his second home run of the season, giving the Hillcats a walk-off win...He's currently on a five-game hitting streak (5-for-18) and he has driven in five runs during the stretch...On the season he's batting just .235 with two home runs, but he leads the Hillcats with 10 RBIs, which is tied for third-most in the league...

TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER: RHP Brian Rauh was selected 11th round of the 2012 draft by the Nationals out of Chapman University in California...He went 30-1 with a 1.78 ERA in three seasons at Chapman...Set a school record with 355 career strikeouts...Was named a first team Division III All-American all three years...Went 8-1 with a 1.27 ERA in 2012 before getting drafted....Ranked third in all of Division III with 122 strikeouts in 92 innings in 2012...Made his professional debut with short-season Auburn (NYP)...Went 0-0 with a 2.37 ERA in five appearances, one start, before moving up to Low-A Hagerstown...He made nine appearances, eight starts and went 3-3 with a 4.76 ERA...Started 2013 with Hagerstown...Moved up to Double-A Harrisburg for one relief appearance in May, and was promoted again from Hagerstown to Potomac in June...Pitched solely out of the bullpen for Hagerstown, but 12 of 16 Potomac outings were starts...Has allowed 12 runs, seven earned, through three starts this season...His worst outing came against the Hillcats, giving up eight runs, four earned, in only 2.2 innings on April 9...

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Carolina League Stories from April 19, 2014


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