Mudcats Win Third Straight and Open Road Trip with 5-3 Victory in Salem

SALEM, VA - Pat McInerney hit a game tying RBI double and Eddie Silva drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrificring a two run sixth, Rob Henry hit his sixth home run of the season, Cody Beckman earned the win with three scoreless innings in relief and Clayton Andrews picked up his first save as the Mudcats defeated the Red Sox 5-3 on Monday night at Haley Toyota Field in Salem, VA.

The win was Carolina's third straight and put an end to Salem's winning streak as the Red Sox (11-13) had won six straight before Monday's game. The Mudcats (15-10) were out hit in the series opening win, but ended up taking advantage of three Salem errors while scoring a couple of unearned runs over the first four innings before breaking out with a two run sixth and one run seventh to win it 5-3.
Carolina struck first in the game and led 1-0 in the opening frame before the Red Sox came right back with three in the last of the first to take a 3-1 lead. However, those three early runs were all that Salem could muster against starter Noah Zavolas and the Carolina bullpen as they kept the Salem offense in check the rest of the way. 
Beckman (2-0, 3.77) followed Zavolas and earned the win after keeping Salem scoreless in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. He also pitched around two hits and struck out two in the victorious effort. Matt Hardy then worked a scoreless eighth while setting it up for Andrews (S, 1) who struck out one while earning his first save in the ninth.
Zavolas also kept the Red Sox quiet following the three run first inning. After allowing three hits and three runs in the first, Zavolas went on to allow just three other hits over the next three scoreless frames before leaving the game. He ended up with a strikeout, three runs (two earned) allowed on six hits over his four inning and 77 pitch (54 strikes) effort.
Carolina was down 3-1 entering their half of the fourth, but managed to scrape across a run against starter Bryan Mata while getting within one of the lead. That fourth inning run was scored by McInerney after he managed to reach third thanks to a three base throwing error from Mata. McInerney had hit a soft grounder near the mound, but Mata ended up throwing the ball away while attempting to catch Carolina's designated hitter at first. McInerney ended up at third on the play and scored moments later on Silva's first of two sac flies in the game.
Carolina then went from 3-2 a deficit to a 4-3 lead in the after scoring twice in their half of the sixth inning. That frame began with reliever Alex Demchak on the mound and with three straight hits from Mario Feliciano, Ryan Aguilar and McInerney. McInerney's hit was a game tying, screaming double off the center field wall that scored Feliciano from second. It also moved Aguilar to third and he would go on to bring in the go-ahead with a sacrifice fly to left.
Carolina led 4-3 in the seventh, but quickly took a 5-3 lead when Henry connected on his team leading sixth home run of the season. His solo shot was an opposite field blast that gave Carolina a two run cushion. It also brought Carolina's home run total in April to a Carolina League leading 25 in the first month of the season. Carolina's 25 home runs in April are the most since the 2004 when the Mudcats totaled 24 home runs in the opening month of the year.
UP NEXT: Winners of three straight, the Mudcats will next play on Tuesday night at Haley Toyota Field in Salem, VA in game two of the four game set. Reigning Carolina Pitcher of the Week Dylan File will get the start Tuesday night for Carolina. The game will air live on the Mudcats Radio Network, the Big Dawg 98.5 FM and online at carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio.
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