Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes
Published on July 5, 2014 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Hill City Howlers News Release
LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (8-7, 42-43) vs. FREDERICK KEYS (4-11, 36-46)
Saturday, July 5, 2014 -- 6:05 PM
Calvin Falwell Field at City Stadium
RHP Wes Parsons (4-4, 3.96) vs. RHP Branden Kline (4-3, 3.74)
LAST TIME OUT: The Hillcats beat the Frederick Keys 8-4 last night snapping a four-game losing streak...RF David Nick put the Hillcats on top 1-0 in the second inning with an RBI single to right field...A two-out error on 1B Justin Bloxom allowed the Keys to tie the score 1-1 in the third...RHP Dylan Bundy pitched into the fifth for Frederick but didn't complete the inning...LF Jose Martinez' one-out sac fly knocked Bundy out of the game...RHP Jimmy Yacabonis entered and threw a wild pitch allowing another run to score before getting out of the inning...Bundy allowed three runs on four hits, walked two, and struck out three in 4.2 innings...The Hillcats led 3-1 going to the sixth when the Keys took their first and only lead...RHP Jarett Miller surrendered four hits, including three doubles and walked a batter as the Keys scored three runs to take 4-3 advantage...Lynchburg came right back with four runs in the bottom of the sixth...CF Will Skinner hit a two-run homer to put the 'Cats up 5-4 and then eventually three consecutive wild pitches allowed two more runs to score with two outs...Yacabonis (0-2) made it through that inning, but took the loss last night giving up four runs in 1.1 innings of relief...Miller (4-6) pitched in to the seventh for Lynchburg retiring the first two batters, but then a two-out double by 1B Trey Mancini ended his night...RHP Alex Wilson entered and finished the game with 2.1 scoreless frames and earned his eighth save of the season, while Miller got the win allowing four runs, three earned, on eight hits in 6.2 innings...The Hillcats are 8-7 in the second half and sit in first place in the Northern Division...
VS. FREDERICK: The Hillcats are 9-3 against the Keys this season...They haven't lost a series against Frederick yet splitting a four-game series in Lynchburg opening weekend, winning three of four in Frederick April 11-14, and sweeping the Keys in Lynchburg May 27-29, which is one of just two series sweeps the Hillcats have this season...OF Will Skinner is batting .286 (12-for-42) against the Keys with four home runs and 12 RBIs in 12 games...Meanwhile, OF Glynn Davis has been Frederick's star against Lynchburg, batting .377 (20-for-53), even after going 0-for-5 last night, with six doubles, nine RBIs, and 14 runs scored in 12 games...
WILSON AT IT AGAIN: RHP Alex Wilson tossed 2.1 scoreless innings last night extending his scoreless innings streak to 11...It's his second double digit scoreless inning streak this season and the longest current streak for a Hillcat...He also has the longest streak of the season for any Hillcat when he tossed 15 consecutive scoreless frames from May 8 - June 7...He also earned his team-best eighth save of the season last night, which ranks tied four fourth in the league...In 23 appearances this season, he has allowed runs only five times, and is yet to blow a save...In 42 innings he has 41 strikeouts and just 12 walks...
SLIDE SNAPPED: The Hillcats snapped their four-game losing streak last night with an 8-4 win over Frederick...It was the fifth time all season that the 'Cats had lost multiple games in a row...Their first losing streak was 10 games from April 19 - May 1...They were also swept by the Mudcats at home May 5-7, had a four-game slide against Winston-Salem and Myrtle Beach, and a three-game drought against Myrtle Beach and Salem...They have never lost just two in a row this season, and all four losing streaks since the 10-gamer at the end of April have exclusively involved teams from the Southern Division....The Hillcats are 25-17 against the Northern Division, but just 17-26 against the Southern Division...
SKINNER'S PERFECT STORM: OF Will Skinner went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and two runs scored last night...It was his fourth home run against the Keys this season in 12 games...It was also his sixth long ball of the year, which leads all Hillcats...All six of his home runs have been hit at City Stadium, so welcoming the Keys to town this weekend seemed like another recipe for success...He had been just 5-for-30 over his previous eight games, but now he's on a three-game hitting streak and has his second half average back above .300 to .311...He also did not strike out last night, snapping an eight game stretch with at least one K...
FOR THE FANS: The Hillcats got back to .500 (22-22) at home this season with last night's win, and they did it in front 5,652, the largest crowd of the season at City Stadium...
CABRERA COMES BACK: RHP Mauricio Cabrera was activated off the disabled list Wednesday and made his return to the mound for Lynchburg Thursday night...He gave up two hits and struck out two in a scoreless seventh inning...LF Jose Martinez helped him out by throwing out a runner at home on the second single, and that ended the inning...Cabrera hadn't pitched for the Hillcats since April 19...He made three starts for the 'Cats going 0-0 with a a 2.61 ERA before hitting the DL...
TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER: RHP Branden Kline, a Frederick, MD native, was selected in second round of the 2012 draft our of the University of Virginia...Ranked third in school history with 21 saves, 18 of which came in his sophomore season...Second team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection as a starting pitcher in 2012...Led Virginia with 94 strikeouts and 93.2 innings pitched...Named 2012 preseason All-American by baseball America and Collegiate Baseball...Selected by the Boston Red Sox in the sixth round of the 2009 Draft but did not sign...Made four appearances (all starts) in 2012 professionally with Short-season Aberdeen (0-0, 4.50)...Then, made only seven appearances (all starts) in 2013 with Low-A Delmarva (1-2, 5.86)...His season ended in May, as he needed surgery to repair a broken right ankle...Pitched in the Arizona Fall League (1-1, 10.54)...He gave up 23 hits in 13.2 innings...Throws fastball (88-92), slider, changeup....He has faced the Hillcats twice this season, going 1-0 with a 5.00 ERA...He is 1-0 with a 5.06 ERA against the Hillcats, beating the Hillcats Opening Night, and taking no-decisions in his last two starts despite allowing eight runs over 11 innings...He has fared far better on the road (4-0, 2.93 ERA) versus home (0-3, 5.00)...Has four starts of seven innings while allowing one run or fewer this season, and has taken a no-decision in each of them...
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