Taugner Tosses Complete Game Shutout; both Aguilar & Lutz Homer in Twin-Bill Sweep

ZEBULON, N.C. - Christian Taugner tossed a complete-game shutout in game one and both Tristen Lutz and Ryan Aguilar hit home runs in game two as the Mudcats swept Frederick in both games of a doubleheader, 2-0 and 6-5 respectively, in front of a crowd of 5,948 on Friday night at Five County Stadium.

The twin-bill sweep snapped a four game losing streak for the Mudcats (8-8, 47-38) and gave them a series victory in their three game series against the visiting Keys (5-11, 34-51) at Five County Stadium. The victory also came in front of Carolina's largest home crowd of the 2019 season with 5,948 on-hand in Zebulon.
Taugner (W, 3-7, 3.56) was simply brilliant in game one for the Mudcats as he went the distance while working through seven shutout frames with four strikeouts, one walk and just five hits allowed. The complete-game shutout was the second of his career and took a career high 108 pitches (72 strikes) to complete. 
Coincidentally, the Mudcats scored twice in the first in both games, with their two run first in game one ultimately being enough thanks to Taugner's game one gem. 
Carolina scored its first two runs of game one off Frederick starter David Lebron and did so after Wes Rogers started the game with an infield single before moving to third on a double to right from Aguilar and scoring when Lutz followed with a run scoring groundout. Payton Henry then came through with a RBI single to center as Carolina took its early 2-0 lead on Lebron (L, 2-4, 3.86) and the Keys. 
In all, Lebron struck out five, walked two and allowed five hits over five innings while taking the loss. He was later followed by reliever Luis Perez who ended up allowing a hit and striking out one in the ninth while finishing the game.
Carolina's déjà vu on offense came early game two as Rogers led things off by reaching safely on a walk issued by starter Blane Knight. Rogers then scored the game's first run after moving to second on a sacrifice from Aguilar and scoring on a two-out RBI double off the wall in left from Lutz. History then repeated itself again as Carolina took a 2-0 lead in that same first inning when Henry connected on a two-out RBI single to center. 
Henry ended up with two, two-out run scoring hits in the first inning of both games on Friday night. His two RBI night across both game brought his overall season total to 47; while also raising his two-out RBI total to a league high 27 on the year.
Carolina led 2-0 against Knight (L, 0-6, 6.39) and the Keys after the first in game two, but went on to add to that with a solo home run (9) from Lutz in the third and a three-run home run (6) for Aguilar in the fifth. Knight allowed both home runs and ended up with the loss after allowing six runs on five hits over four and 1/3 innings pitched (2 BB, 5 SO). He was later followed by reliever Diogenes Almengo who pitched the final inning and 2/3 scoreless with two walks and three strikeouts.
Game two starter Matt Smith, like Taugner earlier, also turned in a gem as he worked through five scoreless frames. Smith (W, 3-7, 3.56) struck out four and scattered four hits in his victory. He also worked through five scoreless for his second straight outing.
The Mudcats ended up needing all six of those runs though as they nearly let their 6-0 lead slip away in the ninth. The Keys came back with five runs in the ninth to pull within one and ended up scoring all five of those runs on reliever Rodrigo Benoit who stayed in for the ninth after pitching a scoreless eighth. 
Of those five final runs only three were named to Carolina's All-Star team as a reliever. The five run Frederick seventh began with a dropped pop up at short from Trever Morrison (his second error of the game) and continued with a walk to Jean Carrillo. Robbie Thorburn and Trever Craport both had run scoring hits off Benoit, with Craport's two-run single knocking him out of the game. 
Anthony Bender followed Benoit and ended up earning his first save with Carolina despite allowed two inherited runners to score. Bender (S, 1) ended up striking out three and allowed one hit in his first home appearance with Carolina. Benoit pitched through an inning plus and allowed five runs (three earned) on four hits. He also walked one and struck out two.
Saturday's game will be followed by the third and final installment of Carolina's Mudcats for America Series and will feature a postgame fireworks extravaganza show following the game.
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.
Individual game tickets, season ticket plans, group ticket packages and the latest mini plans are all available now by visiting the Five County Stadium front office, by calling (919) 269-CATS (2287) and by visiting carolinamudcats.com/tickets.
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