Morgan unhittable in Hillcats' shutout

Six games in and Eli Morgan has more than found his comfort zone with the Hillcats, it was a downright dominating zone Thursday.
Cleveland's No. 28 prospect threw six hitless innings, striking out nine and walking one, in Class A Advanced Lynchburg's 1-0 win over Myrtle Beach at Calvin Falwell Field.

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"All three pitches were good in the strike zone and out," said Morgan. "I'd say I had all three working, just throwing strikes. A mix of that and being able to expand out of the zone late in counts and get some strikeouts."
The 22-year-old right-hander got the first out of the game playing a ground ball back to him from D.J. Wilson and retired the first eight batters before walking Connor Myers in the third.
Morgan (3-2) sat down the next 10 Pelicans and exited the game after throwing 91 pitches -- 59 for strikes -- and having allowed one baserunner. 
"My last two starts I have been better in terms of the hit column," he said. "Last time I still gave up three runs, but only allowed two hits. I'm finding better ways to keep some guys off the bases, and if I can minimize walks like I did tonight, that will be big going forward."
Eight of Morgan's nine punchouts came swinging and most of them on offspeed pitches. It raised his pitch count, but he thought his location was stronger than it had been in his five previous Carolina League outings.

"I was getting ahead early in the count," said Morgan. "That allows me to just kind of expand more out of the zone with my offspeed stuff. The strikeouts was part of the reason why my pitch count was high. I would be 1-2 or 0-2 on some guys and keep working on that strikeout. Being more efficient with the pitch count is something to work on."
The Gonzaga product made his Lynchburg debut on May 21 against the same Myrtle Beach team. He allowed two first-inning blasts and three runs on five hits and two walks while fanning five in five innings. Thursday's result seemed like a measuring stick of the progress he's made.
"I gave up the home runs last time, both on fastballs down the middle," Morgan said. "Today I didn't really hit the middle that often, just a handful of times."
After posting a 2-0 record with a 1.83 ERA in 44 1/3 innings for Class A Lake County, the 2017 eighth-round pick said getting comfortable at the new level had more to do with what he's working on than the opponent he is facing.
"I really haven't made any adjustments," he said. "It's still early in a lot of these players' developments. Some of the stuff I was doing at low-A has worked at high-A. You just have to be a little more careful. You might have to locate a fastball a little better and your mistakes are hit a little harder. But it's still the same game."
Morgan pitched 35 innings in his professional debut for Class A Short Season Mahoning Valley a year ago, and he had already eclipsed that mark in the Midwest League before the promotion. It's enabled him to adjust his pacing.
"I've learned what routine works for me, how much to throw between my five days," he said. "I want to keep my arm healthy but also try to get stronger. I think I've done a good job finding that groove. I still throw a lot, but tapered it down to feel like I can stay in this all year."
James Karinchak earned his six save of the year with a scoreless ninth.
Indians No. 27 prospect Mitch Longo led off the game with a homer to account for all the offense.