SHOREBIRDS GAME NOTES: 7/22 @ Hickory

PREVIEW: Fresh off a slugfest 10-6 win over Hickory, the Shorebirds aim to take the series lead in game three. The Shorebirds are back in second place, now just one game behind Lakewood, who lost again last night 5-4 (10). The Shorebirds have 45 games remaining in 2010.

10 RUNS: The Shorebirds plated ten runs last night for the first time since May 15, when they plated lost 11-10 to Kannapolis at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium. The Shorebirds went 60 games without totaling a double-digit output. The six run inning in the sixth last night was the largest single-inning output since June 19, when the ‘Birds plated six runs in the third inning against Lexington.

6 RBIS: Tyler Townsend recorded six RBIs last night, his personal career best and the most in a single game for the Shorebirds this season. Ty Kelly notched the previous high of five RBIs on April 11 against Greenville. The last Shorebirds player to record six RBIs in game was Joe Mahoney, who knocked in six runs on April 12, 2009 against Lakewood.

NINE-GAME HIT STREAK: Ty Kelly is riding a career high nine-game hit streak into game three against Hickory. He is 15-for-36 (.416) during the streak. It is interesting to note that Kelly has no extra base hits during the streak. He has also scored a run in five straight games.

LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: The Shorebirds have not qualified for the SAL playoffs in four years. In 2005, the Shorebirds last made the playoffs by winning the second half (42-27). The Shorebirds lost to Hagerstown two games to one in the semi-finals.

13 OF 15: Ty Kelly has hit safely in 13 of his last 15 games dating back to July 4. His .274 batting average is the highest it has been since May 20 when he was batting .277.

TEN GAME WINNER?: Jesse Beal leads the Shorebirds staff with seven wins as he goes for number eight tonight. The Shorebirds did not have a 10-game winner in 2009. Ryan O’Shea and Oliver Drake tied for the staff high with eight wins. The last ten game winners came from 2008, when Zach Britton (12-7), Sean Gleason (12-2) and Luis Noel (10-8) all won ten games.

FOUR RBIS IN LAST FIVE: Gary Helmick has recorded an RBI in four of the last five games that he has appeared. He has 20 runs-batted-in through 50 games played. Helmick is 10-for-29 in 10 games in July (.345).

FALLING OUT OF MIX: Levi Carolus has not played in a game since July 15. He has been out of the lineup in five straight games.

THIRD BEST: The Shorebirds pitching staff has accumulated the third lowest ERA (.292) in the month of July. Hickory’s pitching staff has the lowest staff ERA in July (.280).