What a difference a week makes as the Lynchburg Hillcats have started the second half of the season in first place in the Carolina Northern League Division.
The Hillcats finished the past week winning four of seven games to improve to 5-3 to lead Wilmington by 0.5 games.
Shortstop Ernie Clement, 22, who played college ball at Virginia, was promoted from the Lake County Captains to Lynchburg on June 23 after shortstop Luke Wakamatsu was placed on the 7-day disabled list. Clement has made the most of the opportunity so far at the top of the lineup for the Hillcats.
The fourth-round pick in 2017 by the Indians is slashing .435/.500/.435 in his first six games at the high Class A level. Clement is hitting 10-for-23 with no strikeouts and three walks. He had been slashing .267/.367/.353 in 54 games for the Captains in low Class A.
Wakamatsu has had a slow start to the season and is slashing .197/.304/.269 in 55 games for Lynchburg.
Outfielders Mitch Longo and Conner Capel continue to bet consistent hitters for the Hillcats this season with Longo slashing .287/.338/.415 and Capel with .284/.368/.424
Zach Plesac started in a 7-2 win on June 23 against at home in a seven-inning contest against Myrtle Beach. In 3.1 innings he gave up two runs and four hits. Micah Miniard (2-2, 4.62) pitched 3.2 inning scoreless relief and gave up just two hits to earn the win.
Justin Garza (3-5, 4.23) started in a 5-3 loss in seven innings on June 24 against Myrtle Beach and gave up three runs and four hits in three innings. He was relieved by Billy Strode who gave up two runs in three innings and Leandro Linares who pitched a scoreless inning.
Anderson Polanco (1-1, 4.26) started in an 8-0 win in the second game of the doubleheader. He pitched four scoreless innings and gave up two hits. Ben Krauth (2-1, 2.78) pitched three scoreless innings to earn the win.
Sam Hentges pitched 2 innings in a 6-5 loss on June 25 at Wilmington and gave up two runs. He was relieved by Jared Robinson, Dalbert Siri, and James Karinchak (0-1, 0.54) who took the loss.
Tanner Tully (2-8, 5.06) stared and pitched seven innings on June 26 against Wilmington. He gave up two runs and struck out four batters. Linares (1-0, 3.86) earned the win after pitching 1.1 innings and giving up one run.
Eli Morgan (4-2, 2.45) pitched six strong innings in a 5-1 win on June 27 against Wilmington. He gave up just one run and three hits to earn the victory. Karinchak earned his seventh save.
Plesac (4-4, 5.18) started in the 9-2 defeat on June 28 against the Blue Rocks. He pitched five innings and gave up four runs and six hits to earn the loss.
Weekly transactions: C Angel Lopez Alvarez assigned to Lynchburg from the Mahoning Valley Scrappers and C Logan Ice was assigned to the Akron RubberDucks from Lynchburg on June 26.
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