Mudcats End Losing Streak in Doubleheader Split at Winston-Salem

WINSTON-SALEM, NC - Pat McInerney hit a sixth inning grand slam to lift the Mudcats to a 6-3 game one victory, but the Dash held on in game two while escaping with a 5-4 victory as Carolina and Winston-Salem split a doubleheader on Saturday night at BB&T Ballpark.

Carolina's game one victory snapped a season high five game losing streak for the Mudcats (30-25). The game two loss, however, clinched a series victory for the Dash (30-24) as Winston-Salem won three of four in the series.
In game one, the Dash led 3-2 heading into the Carolina half of the sixth, but McInerney erased the one run deficit after connecting on his grand slam to left. It was his fourth home run of the year and Carolina's second grand slam so far this season. 
McInerney's slam in the sixth gave Carolina its second lead of the game and put them up 6-3 with their starter Noah Zavolas still in the game. Zavolas (W, 3-2, 3.39) started the Dash sixth with a strikeout, but then gave up a hit before leaving the game. Clayton Andrews (S, 6, 2.60) followed and went on to earn his sixth save of the season after working through the final inning and 2/3 scoreless with three strikeouts.
Zavolas scattered seven hits, walked two, struck out five and allowed three runs in the victory. He also induced eight ground outs against two fly outs while working through five and 1/3 innings and reaching 78 pitches (55 strikes) in the game one victory.
Winston-Salem's Luis Ledo allowed McInerney's grand slam in the sixth, but it was Zach Lewis who suffered the loss after allowing four runs (three earned) over three and 1/3 innings. Lewis (L, 3-3, 6.37) walked three, struck out three and allowed just two hits while taking the loss. 
Jordan Stephens had the start in game one for the Dash and pitched just the first two innings before Lewis took over. Stephens struck out four over the first two, but also allowed a first inning home run to Ryan Aguilar. The homer gave Carolina an early 1-0 lead and was Aguilar's third of the year. The Mudcats then took a 2-0 lead in the game after Aguilar brought in one more with a RBI ground out in the third.
Winston-Salem, however, came back with one run in each of the third, fourth and fifth innings before McInerney gave Carolina the lead again with his grand slam in the sixth. McInerney went 1-for-2 with a run and a four RBI in the game. Aguilar was 1-for-4 with a run and two RBI. Mario Feliciano had two hits in game one while going 2-for-3 with a run.
Carolina used two homers to win game one and the Dash returned the favor by doing the same in game two as Carlos Perez and Craig Dedelow both homered off starter Braden Webb.
Perez's home run was a solo shot in the third that gave the Dash a 1-0 lead in the game. Perez then brought in one more with a ground out in the fourth as the Dash went up 2-0. 
Webb (L, 0-2, 4.01) hard originally retired six straight to start game two before giving up the Perez home run in the third. He allowed the Dash run in the fourth, but remained in the game while Carolina came back and tied the game with two runs in the sixth off Winston-Salem starter Jorgan Cavanerio. 
The game was tied at 2-2 in the sixth, but Dedelow quick changed that as he connected on a three-run home run to right to give the Dash a 5-2 lead. Webb also allowed two other hits in the sixth before giving up the Dedelow homer and then exiting the game. Matt Hardy took ove and worked through final frame by retiring three straight.
Webb, in all, allowed five runs and eight hits over five innings and took the loss. He also walked two, struck out one and allowed two home runs.
The Mudcats were down 5-2 through the sixth, but went on to rally for two, two-out runs while pulling within one of the lead on the seventh before coming up short in the comeback. 
Carolina's two-out rally included a single to center from Tristen Lutz, a RBI double to the left field corner from Feliciano and three straight infield hits from Zach Clark, Rob Henry and Eddie Silva. Julio Garcia was the final Carolina batter and ended up striking out looking with the bases loaded to end the game.
Cavanerio did not earn a decision, but pitched through five and 2/3 innings with two runs allowed on six hits. He also walked two and struck out five. Reliever Jose Nin followed and allowed both Carolina runs in the seventh. Nin (W, 2-1, BS, 5.57) also allowed one of two inherited runners to score in the sixth while earning the win after suffering his second blown save.
Carolina originally moved back into second place in the Southern Division standings with the game one victory, before falling a half game back of the Dash with the game two loss. The two teams fell to 8.0 and 8.5 games back of first respectively after the Saturday twin-bill.
Saturday's doubleheader accounted for games three and four of Carolina's brief four game set in Winston-Salem. The Dash took the first two games of the series and ended up winning the series overall, three games to one.
The Mudcats will next play on Sunday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. when they return home to Five County Stadium to take on the Frederick Keys for the first time this season. 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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