Martin Magnificent in 1-0 Victory
Published on July 13, 2012 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Hill City Howlers News Release
Lynchburg, VA- On a day where bad luck was expected, Cody Martin turned the tables in a night he won't soon forget. In a 1-0 pitchers' duel, Martin bested Yeiper Castillo at Lynchburg City Stadium. Martin struck out a career-high 14 batters in his complete game shutout.
On a gloomy Friday the 13th, it seemed that we destined for an ugly slugfest. However, Cody Martin and Yeiper Castillo were dueling stars throughout the night.
Cody Martin was flashy and sharp from the get go. Three of the first six he faced went down swinging as Martin kept them off balance with a fastball, cutter, curve and slider. Castillo was pitching to contact and relied heavily on his fielders through his first two frames.
The bottom of the third had Castillo's sole hiccup of the day and it came with two outs. Nick Ahmed got the mini-rally started with a single. With Chris Garcia at the plate, Ahmed stole his league-leading 25th base of the season and moved third on the throwing error on catcher, Adalberto Ibarra. Garcia got the clutch hit with one strike on him; it was a soft liner over the head of Michael Almanzar who was playing third base. Ahmed would score on the play and the 'Cats took the 1-0 lead.
From that point forward, it was a pitching clinic between Martin and Castillo. Martin allowed his first hit in the top of the fourth when Heiker Meneses hit a bloop single out to shallow right-center. From there he would 15 of 16 batters including 12 Ks through eight innings.
Castillo from the end of the third through the seventh--his final inning of work--Castillo would retire 10 of 12 and whiff six of his own. Mike Olmsted would replace him in the 8th and record a perfect inning.
The ninth is where things got hairy for Martin and the 'Cats. After striking out LeBlanc for his 13th strikeout of the day and the 16th of the 17 he would retire, Meneses would hit a line drive into the left-center field gap. Martin was able to refocus and get Shannon Wilkerson to pop out to second baseman Matt Weaver. Then, with two outs, Travis Shaw would walk. It was the first batter Martin walked on the day. With runners at first and second, Brandon Jacobs was at the plate. He took two giant hacks to start the at-bat and with the crowd on their feet at roar, Martin put the exclamation point on the night with his career-high and Hillcats season-high 14th strike out of the night.
Martin's career night helped him become the first CL pitcher to reach double-digit wins, he is now 10-6. Martin went the distance, allowing two hits, one walk and 14 whiffs. Castillo (0-1) got the tough-luck loss for his seven strong innings of work. He gave up the game's sole run on just five hits. He also walked one and struck out six.
The series finale is slated for a 6:05pm start time. Gates will open at 5:00pm at Lynchburg City Stadium. A marquee match up tomorrow will feature J.R. Graham (8-1, 2.76) of the Hillcats versus Matt Barnes (5-1, 3.48) of the Sox. If you can't make it to the park, the Hillcats On-Deck Show powered by Honda/Suzuki of Lynchburg goes on the air at 6:40pm. Listen live to all the action on 105.5 FM KD Country and online at lynchburg-hillcats.com with Erik Wilson and Mike Viso.
Carolina League Stories from July 13, 2012
- Keys Stun Mudcats with Seven Run Comeback - Frederick Keys
- Birds Sputter to 5-0 Loss - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Mudcats Collapse in 9-8 Loss at Frederick - Carolina Mudcats
- Adam Finally Victorious in Wilmington Triumph - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Martin Deals Two-Hitter in 1-0 Lynchburg Triumph - Salem RidgeYaks
- Adam, Blue Rocks Shut Down Potomac 3-1 - Potomac Nationals
- Collop Leads Charge in Shutout Victory - Winston-Salem Dash
- Martin Magnificent in 1-0 Victory - Hill City Howlers
- Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Hill City Howlers
- Blue Rocks Game Notes - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- 'Cats Offense Explodes for Nine in Salem - Hill City Howlers
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