Harrison and Stokes both homer in 6-2 loss

BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Monte Harrison homered in the second and Troy Stokes Jr. hit a soaring home run in the ninth, but the Astros rallied for five runs in the fourth while defeating the Mudcats 6-2 on Saturday night at Jim Perry Stadium in Buies Creek.

Harrison's home run in the second originally gave the Mudcats (48-49, 12-17) a 1-0 lead and was his fifth with Carolina and 16th overall this year. It also ended up being the only hit and only run allowed in the game by Buies Creek (57-42, 20-9) starter Elieser Hernandez.
Hernandez (3-3, 4.93) pitched through the fifth and earned the win after allowing just one run on one hit in five full innings pitched. He also struck out five and retired 10 straight immediately after Harrison's home run and before leaving the game after the fifth.
The Mudcats led 1-0 until the Astros rallied for five runs on just two hits against Mudcats' starter Frank Lopez in the fourth. The five Buies Creek runs also came across with help of four walks and by a throwing error from Lucas Erceg early in the inning.
Lopez (2-4, 8.69) started the fourth by walking Anthony Hermelyn, but was then able to get Randy César to hit a sharp grounder to third. Erceg dove and stopped Cesar's grounder from going into left and his ensuing throw (from his knees) to second sailed over second and into right. 
Neither Hermelyn or Cesar advanced on the error, but the inning continued with no outs and two on for Spencer Johnson. Lopez went on to strikeout Johnson, but a wild pitch during the punchout allowed the runners to advance and a RBI from Alex DeGoti went to bring in one to tie the game. Lopez then walked Tyler Wolfe, allowed a RBI single to Myles Straw and then issued RBI walks to both Stephen Wrenn and Yordan Alvarez.
Lopez after walking Alvarez and reliever Wuilder Rodriguez then took over out of the bullpen. Rodriguez inherited a bases loaded jam in the fourth and allowed one of the runners in on a sacrifice fly to center. He eventually pitched through the eighth and finished with one run allowed on three hits while striking out three and walking one.
The Astros led 5-1 after the fourth and later went up 6-1 when Rodriguez allowed a RBI double to Randy Cesar in the seventh. Cesar was 3-for-4 with a double and a RBI in the game for the Astros. Buies Creek also received multi-hit games from Straw who was 2-for-5 with a run and Alvarez who had a triple while going 2-for-3.
Stokes later scored Carolina's second and final run of the game after he launched a solo home run off Brett Adcock in the ninth. The home run was Stokes' team best 14th of the season.
Adcock pitched the final four innings for the Astros and earned his first save of the season after allowing just one run on three hits. He, like Hernandez, also finished with five strikeouts and no walks.
Nate Griep pitched the final frame for Carolina and worked through a scoreless frame with no walks and no strikeouts.
The loss extended Carolina's losing streak to four straight games and clinched a 3-0 series win for the Astros.
 
UP NEXT: The Mudcats will look to avoid a sweep in the four game set when they play the finale of the series on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. at Jim Perry Stadium at Buies Creek. The game will air on the Mudcats Radio Network, The Big Dawg 98.5 FM and online at carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio.
# # #