Prior to Friday's game, Seth Loman prayed for some hits. But even a devout Christian like Loman was surprised with the end results. The 23-year-old slugged three homers for the first time in his career as the Kannapolis Intimidators posted a 6-4, 10-inning victory over the Greenville Grasshoppers. Loman went yard in the third, fifth and seventh innings en route to his third multi-hit effort in 10 games. But Friday's power surge wasn't just an act of God. It also was the result of Loman going back to a tried-and-true approach at the plate involving a shorter swing and emphasis on using his lower body. "My last game in Hickory [on Thursday], I kind of went back to that style of hitting," he said. "I felt more success with it. It's something I just hadn't been doing 'til the last couple of games." Since the switch, Loman is 6-for-9 with four homers and five RBIs. While it's a small sample size, his explosion -- which fell one homer from tying the South Atlantic League record -- is a step in the right direction. "As long as I keep my stride really short, it kind of allows me to be successful," he said. Loman's stride was the only thing short about Friday's performance. Although Greenville's NewBridge Bank Park is considered a hitter-friendly venue, all three of his two-out solo shots were driven over the right-center field fence, one of the deepest parts of the stadium. Loman said he has been working with hitting coach Greg Briley as well as White Sox roving Minor League hitting coach Jeff Manto on staying upright in the batter's box and using his 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame to his advantage. The three-homer night gave Loman seven long balls in only 81 at-bats with the Intimdators. After spending the 2008 season with the St. George Roadrunners of the independent Golden League, Loman started this year at Class A Advanced Winston-Salem. In 15 games with the Dash, he batted .292 with nine RBIs. In 22 contests with Kannapolis, he's hitting .309 with 18 RBIs and 16 runs scored. While there's no denying that Loman is swinging a red-hot bat, the designated hitter is focusing on steady contributions rather than fleeting bursts of power. "I get really streaky," he admitted. "When I'm hot, I'm hot; when I'm cold, I'm cold. My goal this year is to kind of even it out a little bit more and be more consistent." Brittany Ghiroli is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs. |
