Neuhaus and Aguilar Power Mudcats to Fourth Straight Win

SALEM, VA - Alec Bettinger struck out eight over 6.0 quality innings, Tucker Neuhaus hit a three-run home run in the fifth, Ryan Aguilar added a solo shot in the ninth and Demi Orimoloye went 2-for-4 as the Mudcats won their four straight game 8-3 versus the Red Sox on Thursday night at Haley Toyota Field in Salem.

The Mudcats (5-2, 39-38) took a three games to none lead in the four set and sealed a series victory while taking Thursday's game 8-3. They also improved to 12-4 on the season against a Carolina League Northern Division opponent.
Bettinger (1-1, 2.12) started for Carolina and pitched through six full innings while working through his second quality start since his promotion from Low-A. He totaled eight strikeouts, walked one and allowed just one run on four hits while reaching 98 pitches (63 strikes). 
Left-hander Darwinzon Hernandez started for Salem (3-4, 35-30) and ended up taking the loss after allowing five runs (three earned) on four hits over four and 2/3 innings pitched. He also walked three and struck out eight while reaching 102 pitches in the loss.
Hernandez (3-5, 5.19) allowed Carolina to take an early 2-0 lead after committing two throwing errors and allowing two unearned runs in the second. His first error was a failed pickoff attempt that allowed Weston Wilson, who had walked earlier in the frame, to move from first to third. His second error, meanwhile, came on a two-out, check swing tapper put in play toward third by Aguilar. Hernandez fielded the grounder, but his throw to first missed wide and the resulting error allowed Wilson and Pat McInerney to score. Both Wilson and McInerney reached on walks earlier in the two run frame.
The Mudcats later extended their lead to 6-0 after getting a two-out run scoring single from Orimoloye and a two-out, three-run home run from Neuhaus. Orimoloye's run scoring hit stretched his hitting streak to seven straight games, and came in his seventh game with Carolina. Neuhaus' homer was his second in as many games and his eighth of the season. 
The Red Sox went on to score a run in the fifth while trimming the Carolina lead to 6-1, but that lone fifth inning was all that Bettinger allowed in his stellar outing. Bettinger left after a scoreless sixth and reliever Phil Bickford then entered for the seventh. Bickford ran into a jam after committing a two-out error in the seventh and ended up leaving with the bases loaded and with two outs in the inning. Nattino Diplan then came in for Carolina and went on to leave the bases loaded while striking out C.J. Chatham to end the frame. 
Diplan also pitched the eighth and eventually the ninth while finishing the game for Carolina. In all, Diplan struck out four, walked one and allowed an unearned run (in the ninth) on just one hit over two and 1/3 innings pitched.
Carolina's final run of the game came in the ninth when Aguilar hit a solo home run off reliever Joan Martinez. The home run was Aguilar's fourth of the season and the first of four straight hits allowed by Martinez in the inning. Carolina had four hits in the ninth, but ended up scoring just once against Martinez in the ninth.
Martinez was preceded in the game by relievers Taylor Ahearn (1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 SO) and Kevin McAvoy (2.0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO) as they combined for three and 1/3 innings against Carolina. McAvoy hit Orimoloye with a pitch to start the eighth and then saw him steal both second and third before scoring on a wild pitch in the inning.
Orimoloye scored twice and went 2-for-4 in the game for Carolina. Joangtel Segovia also went 2-for-4 and scored once out of the lead-off spot. Neuhaus drove in three and went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run and Aguilar went 1-for-4 with a solo homer for the Mudcats in the game three of four road win.
The series with conclude on Friday night in Salem beginning at 7:05 p.m. Right-hander Victor Diaz (3-5, 4.84) will start for Carolina as they look for the series sweep against the Red Sox. The game will air on the Mudcats Radio Network, the Big Dawg 98.5 FM and via TuneIn Radio at carolinamudcats.com. It will also stream via live video on MiLB.tv.
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