Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes
Published on June 20, 2014 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release
LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (1-0, 35-36) at POTOMAC NATIONALS (0-1, 38-32)
Friday, June 20, 2014 -- 7:05 PM
Calvin Falwell Field at City Stadium
RHP Lucas Sims (5-4, 5.00) vs. LHP Matt Spann (4-1, 3.83)
LAST TIME OUT: The Hillcats beat the Potomac Nationals 10-3 last night...They trailed 3-2 going into the seventh inning but scored the final eight runs in the one-sided victory...2B Emerson Landoni delivered the game-winning hit with a three-run two-out double in the seventh to put the Hillcats up 6-3...LF David Nick had tied the score earlier in the inning with an RBI single...All four runs in the seventh for Lynchburg were unearned due to an error committed by 3B Khayyan Norfork that allowed CF Kyle Wren to reach...The 'Cats scored four more runs in the eighth inning...Wren hit an RBI-double, DH Kevin Ahrens drove in two more with a double, and 3B Levi Hyams added an RBI-single to make it 10-3...LHP Ronan Pacheco (1-0) pitched the sixth and seventh innings scoreless for Lynchburg and earned the win...RHP Alex Wilson then held the Nationals scoreless in the eighth and ninth innings while striking out five, recording his seventh save of the season...The Hillcats improved to 1-0 to start the second half and currently sit in first place in the Northern Division, a game ahead of the other three teams who all lost last night...
VS. POTOMAC: The Hillcats are 7-8 against the Nationals this season...This is the fifth series between these two clubs with the first four series split so far 2-2 with Potomac sweeping one series April 26-28...The Hillcats have already finished their three trips to Woodbridge this season, where they went 5-5...Meanwhile, the Nationals are 3-2 in Lynchburg, winning series at City Stadium April 18-21...The Hillcats have out-scored the Nationals 85-72 and out-hit 246-124 but are still losing the season series...The Nationals have beaten the 'Cats by one run four times and by two runs twice...C Tyler Tewell has seen success against Potomac, batting .433 (13-for-30) in eight games...
YOU PROBABLY SAW THIS COMING: 2B Jose Peraza was promoted to Double-A Mississippi to begin the second half...In his Double-A debut last night he went 3-for-5 with a triple, an RBI, three runs scored, and a stolen base...He finished the first half on a season-best 14-game hitting streak...He batted .426 (26-for-61) with three doubles, four triples, a home run, six RBIs, and 12 runs scored...Raised his batting average to .342, which is the best in the Carolina League...He also leads the league in at-bats (284), stolen bases (35), and hits (97)...He has 20 more hits than anyone else in the circuit and ranks fourth in runs scored (44)...He was voted to the Carolina League All-Star team and has now earned his first promotion to Double-A in his fourth year as a pro, but he is still just 20 years old...
LANDONI RETURNS: INF Emerson Landoni went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBIs...He was transferred back to Lynchburg from Double-A Mississippi yesterday...Had been batting .271 with a home run and 12 RBIs in 59 games with Mississippi...The Braves originally signed Landoni December 20, 2011 and has spent the last three seasons playing between Lynchburg and Mississippi...In 132 games with the Hillcats from 2012-2013, he hit .249 with five home runs and 39 RBIs...
RALLY 'CATS: The Hillcats stormed back with eight unanswered runs last night in the seventh and eighth innings to run away with their seventh win when trailing after six innings this season...They were down 3-2 and won 10-3...It was the sixth time this season the Hillcats have scored 10 or more runs and they have won each of those games...They've allowed 10 or more runs six times and are 1-5 in those games having beaten the Salem Red Sox 12-11 on June 8...Only two teams in the Carolina League have more wins when trailing after six innings than the Hillcats, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (8) and the Nationals (10), both of whom are headed to the postseason...
THE STAR OF STARS: OF Kyle Wren was a late addition to the Carolina League All-Star team after Myrtle Beach Pelican OF Nick Williams was unable to participate...Wren went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two stolen bases against the California League All-Stars and was named the Carolina League Star of Stars (aka MVP)...The California League won the game 3-2 despite Wren's efforts...Wren currently ranks second in the league in stolen bases (31), ninth in batting (.297), second in hits (77), third in at-bats (259), fifth in lowest total plate appearances per strikeout ratio (8.19), and he leads the league in games played (69)...
AHR-B-I MAN: INF Kevin Ahrens went 2-for-3 with a double, four RBIs and two runs scored last night...The four RBIs matched his single-game career high, which he has done five times now in eight-year career...Most recently he had accomplished the feat with the Hillcats April 8 in a 10-7 win at Potomac...He is now batting .288 (17-for-59) with 17 RBIs in 15 games against the Nationals this season...Ahrens is currently on a five-game hitting streak, batting .500 (8-for-16) with two doubles, seven RBIs, and three runs scored during the streak...He's also drawn six walks, including two last night...
TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER: LHP Matthew Spann was acquired by the Nationals as the player to be named later that completed a deal that sent OF David Dejesus to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2013...Spann was originally selected by the Rays out of Central High School in Columbia, Tennessee in the 25th round of the 2010 draft...He made his debut for the GCL Rays in 2010 (1-1, 1.48), making 10 appearances, one start...Pitched primarily as a starter in short-season ball in 2011 and 2012 before pitching mostly out of the bullpen in 2013 with Low-A Bowling Green...He went 4-3 with a 2.87 ERA in 19 appearances, four starts in his final season in the Rays system...Broke camp this season with Low-A Hagerstown and went 2-0 with a 1.20 ERA in four relief outings, striking out 15 and walking four in 15 innings...Promoted to Potomac on May 1, Spann initially joined the bullpen going 3-0 with a save and a 2.03 ERA in five appearances...He joined the rotation on May 24 and tonight will be his sixth consecutive start...He is 1-1 with a 4.73 ERA as a starter so far...Tonight will be his first appearance against the Hillcats...
Carolina League Stories from June 20, 2014
- Keys Battle Back to Force Rubber Game - Frederick Keys
- Birds Remain Perfect At Home Against Rocks - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Pair Of Pelican Homers Lead Myrtle Beach Past Wilmington - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Mudcats' Late-Inning Woes Continue in Loss - Carolina Mudcats
- Coats, Marin Lift Dash to Second Straight Win - Winston-Salem Dash
- Marin Dazzles in Return, Dash Down Sox 5-1 - Salem Red Sox
- Nationals and Hillcats Postponed Due to Power Outage - Potomac Nationals
- Pelicans Game Notes: 7:05 vs. Wilmington - June 20, 2014 - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes (June 20 vs. Salem) - Winston-Salem Dash
- Wilmington Blue Rocks Game Notes: June 20, 2014 - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Mudcats Game Notes - Carolina Mudcats
- RHP Terance Marin Joins Dash - Winston-Salem Dash
- Dash Trounce Sox 12-4 - Salem Red Sox
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