Mudcats held to just one hit in 4-0 loss to Salem

ZEBULON, N.C. - Starter Mike Shawaryn struck out nine and allowed just one hit over five innings and the relief tandem of Gerson Bautista and Jordan Weems combined to work the final four innings with three strikeouts as the Red Sox finished off a 4-0, one-hit shutout of the Mudcats on Wednesday night at Five County Stadium.

The shutout loss was the fifth this season for the Mudcats (44-48, 8-6). It was also the second time that the Carolina offense was held to just one hit in a game. 
Salem (49-34, 9-5) totaled 14 hits in the game and scored four times while winning the second game of the series 4-0. They scored twice in the fifth on a two-run, two-out single from Jhon Nunez and later had solo home runs in the seventh and ninth from Tyler Spoon and Tate Matheny.
Shawaryn (3-2, 3.54) earned the win and began his brilliant outing by striking out three of four faced in the first, before striking out the side in order in the third. He then struck out two more in the third while totaling eight strikeouts over the first three innings. Shawaryn mixed in three walks over the first three frames, but had a no-hitter with eight strikeouts over the first three innings of Wednesday's game.
Luis Aviles Jr. broke up the no-hit bid in the fourth after reaching on a hard hit two-out single to first that deflected off Josh Ockimey and into foul territory. Trent Clark attempted to score from second on the hit, but Ockimey eventually ran back to get it and his throw home beat Clark to end the inning.
Clark walked with two outs in the fourth and stole second before attempting to score on the lone Carolina hit of the night. Clark walked twice in the game and ran his season total up to a league high 62 base on balls. Troy Stokes Jr. reached safely three times in Wednesday's loss after going 0-1 with a season high three walks.
The Red Sox answered Carolina's missed opportunity in the fourth with a two run fifth while taking a 2-0 lead on starter Cody Ponce and reliever Eric Hanhold. Ponce left during the fifth with the bases loaded and with two outs in the inning. Hanhold then came in to face Nunez and worked himself ahead at 0-2 before giving up the two-run to single to center.
Ponce (7-6, 3.25) pitched through four and 2/3 in Wednesday's game and took the loss after allowing two unearned runs on six hits. He also walked three and struck out six in the loss. Ponce left in the fifth after reaching 102 pitches (67 strikes) in the game.
Hanhold allowed two of three inherited runners to score, but pitched through two and 1/3 innings with one run allowed on five hits. He gave up a solo home run to Spoon (1) in the seventh and left the game before the eighth.
Scott Grist later worked the final two frames for Carolina and allowed Matheny's (4) solo shot to right in the ninth.
Bautista and Weems pitched the final four frames for Salem and combined to hold the Mudcats without a hit and to just two base runners. Bautista (H, 3) struck out one and walked one. Weems (S, 1) also walked one, but struck out two while earning his first save of the season.
Jeremy Rivera was 4-for-5 in the series clinching Salem victory. He also scored once and walked once in the game. Matheny was 3-for-5 with a home run and both Nunez and Victor Acosta had two hits apiece.
UP NEXT: The Mudcats and Red Sox will wrap up the series on Thursday night at Five County Stadium with the first pitch scheduled for 7:00 p.m. The Mudcats will have Marcos Diplan (4-4, 5.74) on the mound for the Thursday night series finale. The game will air on the Mudcats Radio Network, The Big Dawg 98.5 FM and online at carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio. It will also stream via live video on MiLB.tv.
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