Hillcat Happenings April 20-26: Conner Capel heats up

Dalbert Siri1

Outfielder Conner Capel continues to rake at the plate as the Lynchburg Hillcats wrapped up a successful week finishing 5-1 with the only loss coming in the second game of a doubleheader.

Capel, 20, has a slash of .324/.395/.465 after 19 games. He’s hitting 23-for-71 with 13 runs scored, plus a home run, seven doubles and 10 RBI. The lefty-hitting Capel is a 2016 fifth-round pick of the Indians. In his last 10 games, Capel is batting .400 with 16 hits in 40 at-bats. For the season, he’s hitting .344 vs. right-handers and .200 against lefties.

Lynchburg (12-8) has won eight of the last 10 games and moved up to second place in the Carolina League Northern Division only trailing the Salem Red Sox (13-8) by a half game. The Hillcats won the final three games of a four-game set on the road against the Potomac Nationals.

Justin Garza (2-0, 1.35 ERA) earned the 5-3 victory on April 20 when he pitched 5.2 no-hit innings and issued two walks and struck out seven.

Jake Paulson (2-1, 2.20 ERA) beat the Nationals 8-2 on April 21 after pitching seven innings giving up just three hits, one earned run and one walk while striking out five.

Reliever Kieran Lovegrown (1-0, 1.74 ERA) get the 6-4 win on April 22 while pitching two innings of scoreless baseball with three strikeouts. Starter Sam Hentges (2-0, 2.29 ERA) only lasted 3.2 innings and gave up four runs and six hit during his appearance.

After the April 24 game was postponed due to rain, the Hillcats defeated Winston-Salem 4-3 in the first game of a doubleheader on April 25. Reliever Dalbert Siri (1-1, 4.05 ERA) earned the victory after starter Zach Plesac (1-1, 3.74 ERA) pitched four innings giving up just one run and three hits, but he issued five walks and had four strikeouts.

The HIllcats dropped the second game 9-3 with starter Tanner Tully (1-1, 3.63 ERA) taking the loss after giving up five runs and 10 hits in 4.1 innings.

LHP Ben Krauth (1-0, 0.00 ERA) had been promoted to the Akron RubberDucks on April 22 and appeared in two games, but he returned to Lynchburg and earned the win on April 26 pitching three innings of scoreless and hitless relief of Garza. Krauth struck out six and walked two during his appearance. Garza pitched 4.1 innings and gave up three runs and six hits.

The Hillcats open up a three-game series tonight at home vs Potomac.

Weekly Transactions: 1B Anthony Miller was activated from the 10-day disabled list on April 25, and OF Trenton Brooks was placed on the 7-day DL retroactive to April 20.

Arrow to top