File Tosses Another Gem and Henry Totals 3 RBI in 7-3 Win Versus Salem

ZEBULON, NC - Dylan File struck out six over seven solid innings, Payton Henry drove in three while going 2-for-3 with a two-run double, Ryan Aguilar went 2-for-3 with three runs and Tristen Lutz had a run scoring double as Carolina won its second straight 7-3 versus Salem on Saturday night at Five County Stadium.

File (W, 6-4, 3.80) won his second straight game while holding the visiting Red Sox (19-40) to two runs on six hits over seven complete innings. He also totaled six strikeouts while finishing without a walk for the seventh time this season.
Carolina (35-26) struck first in the game as they brought across a run in the opening frame after Henry reached on an error at short while forcing in Aguilar from second. The run was one of three in the game for Aguilar and came after he had reached earlier in the first on a double of starter Enmanuel DeJesus.
Salem came back with two runs in the third off File to take a 2-1 lead, but File went on to hold them scoreless through the remainder of his start and through the seventh. The Mudcats then answered with three runs in the last of that same third inning while taking a 4-2 lead in the game. 
The three run Carolina third began with an infield single from Rob Henry and continued with Aguilar struck by a pitch and then a game tying RBI double from Lutz. Mario Feliciano then brought in the go-ahead by grounding out to short to score Aguilar and a sacrifice fly from Henry scored Lutz as the Mudcats went up 4-2.
Henry later led off the sixth with a single and scored on a two-run run single to right from Devin Hairston to extend the Carolina lead to 5-2. Henry also came through a with a two-run double off reliever Eduard Bazardo in the seventh while putting his club up 7-2 in the game.
Henry led the way for the Mudcats while going 2-for-3 with a two-run double, a sacrifice fly and three RBI in the game. Aguilar scored three times while going 2-for-3 with a double and a single. Lutz also doubled in a run while going 2-for-5 with two runs and Hairston finished the game 1-for-4 with a RBI.
DeJesus (L, 3-5, 4.74) took the loss for the Salem Sox as he allowed six of Carolina's seven runs in the game. He also gave up eight hits, walked one and struck out four over six plus innings. 
Bazardo inherited a runner from DeJesus after taking over for him in the seventh and ended up allowing that runner in, plus one of his own, while going through one full inning with a run and two hits allowed. Bazardo did, however, total three strikeouts and also walked one in his outing. Andrew Schwab later pitched a scoreless eighth and finished with a walk and strikeout.
File left the game with Carolina leading 7-2 after seven. Cody Beckman then worked a scoreless eighth and Phil Bickford later took over for the ninth. Bickford ended up allowing a run on two hits in the final frame and left with two outs and with two men on base. With the tying run on deck, Clayton Andrews would then come in for the final out as he finished the game with a strikeout while earning his ninth save of the season.
The victory put the Mudcats up two games to one in the series and at 5-1 in their current seven game home stand. The series and home stand will conclude on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. with RHP Nelson Hernandez (6-3, 5.18) starting for the Mudcats.
NOTES: The Down East Wood Ducks defeated the Frederick Keys on Saturday night and eliminated the Mudcats from the Southern Division first half title contention… Mario Feliciano was held without a hit, snapping his streak of consecutive games with a home run at four straight. The game will air live on the Mudcats Radio Network, The Big Dawg 98.5 FM and online at carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio. The game will also stream live in full high-definition video on MiLB.tv via Minor League Baseball's subscription service.
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