The Lynchburg Hillcats got back on the winning side of things during the past week with a two-game winning streak to finish with a 4-3 record.
Lynchburg (16-17) has recovered from a six-game losing streak the week before and remains in third place trailing Carolina League Northern Division leader Potomac (20-14) by 3.5 games and Salem (17-17) by a half game.
Outfielders Conner Capel and Mitch Longo continue to lead the Hillcats offensively with Capel slashing .314/.387/.438 in 32 games and Longo slashing .303/.366/.394 in 26 games.
Longo, 23, is a 14th-round pick by the Indians in 2016, and had an 18-game hitting streak end on May 6. He is batting .410 in his last 10 games and is 16-for-39 during that span. Longo has increased his average from .250 on April 26 to his current .303 clip.
The Hillcats won two out of three last week at home vs. Myrtle Beach, then lost two of out three on the road at Frederick. Lynchburg got back in the win column picking up a victory in the first game of a four-game road series against Salem that wraps up on Sunday.
Kieran Lovegrove picked up the win in relief in a 7-3 victory against Myrtle Beach on May 4. Lovegrove pitched 2.1 innings and gave up just one hit and one walk against the Pelicans. Starter Micah Miniard pitched 5.1 innings and gave up six hits and three runs and struck out five.
Starter Sam Hentges pitched four innings against the Pelicans and gave up six hits and two runs in the 2-1 loss. The bullpen of Billy Strode, Luis Jimenez and Anderson Polanco pitched five innings of shutout relief.
Zach Plesac (2-2, 4.33 ERA) pitched a 4-0 complete game shutout against Myrtle Beach on May 6. Plesac, 23, is a 12th-round pick by Cleveland in 2016 and the nephew of former MLB reliever Dan Plesac. He threw just 74 pitches (55 strikes) and struck out three while giving up only two hits and no walks in a dominating performance.
Starter Tanner Tully (1-3, 4.73 ERA) took the loss on May 7 during a 6-1 defeat by Frederick. Tully gave up four runs, eight hits and two walks in 4.2 innings.
Right-hander Felix Tati (0-1, 3.60 ERA) pitched five innings during a 9-1 loss on May 8 against the Keys. Tati, recently promoted from Lake County, gave up two runs, five hits and one walk while striking out one during his first appearance with Lynchburg.
Lovegrove (3-0, 1.56 ERA) picked up his second win in relief during the week after pitching three scoreless innings in a 4-3 victory against Frederick. Lovegrove took over after starter Micah Miniard lasted four innings.
Hentges (3-1, 2.88 ERA) earned the victory during his second start of the week. He pitched five innings during the 11-5 win against Salem. Hentges gave up three runs, six hits and one walk while striking out four.
Weekly transactions: Lynchburg placed RHP Justin Garza on the 7-day disabled list retroactive to May 4, Lynchburg Hillcats activated RF Trenton Brooks from the 7-day disabled list on May 5, Tati was assigned to Lynchburg from the Lake County Captains on May 7, and outfielder Jose Medina was assigned to Lake County from Lynchburg on May 8.
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