Turang Scores Three Runs in 5-3 Carolina Victory

ZEBULON, NC - Brice Turang went 3-for-4 with three runs and two doubles, Payton Henry went 2-for-3 with a RBI double, Mario Feliciano was 1-for-4 with two RBI, Nelson Hernandez picked up the win & Phil Bickford earned his first career save as the Mudcats won their second straight game 5-3 versus the Hillcats on Saturday night at Five County Stadium.

Turang got the Mudcats (25-36, 64-66) going early as he connected on his first of two doubles in the game before scoring on a two-out double from Henry in the first. The Hillcats (26-33, 58-63) came back with a run in the third to tie it, but Feliciano broke the tie with a run scoring double in the Carolina half of that same inning while scoring Turang again and putting Carolina up 2-1. The Mudcats added two more runs in the sixth and one more in the seventh after Turang scored for the third time in the game. That run answered a two run Lynchburg seventh while putting Carolina up 5-3.
Turang went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three of Carolina's five runs in the game. Henry and Feliciano, meanwhile, combined for three RBI with Henry going 2-for-3 with a RBI and Feliciano going 1-for-4 with two RBI.
Feliciano's RBI double in the third and his run scoring force hit into in the sixth accounted for his Carolina League leading 80th and 81st RBI of the season. The double was also his 25th of the year and stretched his hitting streak to seven straight games. Henry's RBI double in the first came with two outs and increased his overall RBI total to 75 on the year and his two-out RBI total to a league leading 38.
Aaron Ashby started the game for Carolina, but it was Hernandez (W, 11-9, 4.46) who earned the win after pitching through five innings from the third through the eighth. Hernandez allowed two runs on four hits, walked one and struck out one over five innings in the victory.
Ashby reached 62 pitches (36 strikes) in his start while going through two and 2/3 innings. He also gave up four hits, allowed one run, walked two and struck out two in his start. Reliever Chad Whitmer took over in the third in place of Ashby and left an inherited runner on base while inducing a force out to the only batter he faced.
Bickford (S, 1) followed and worked the ninth while striking out two, facing four batters and then earning his first career save. Bickford also ran his scoreless innings streak to 22.2 consecutive innings pitched (6 BB, 33 SO). It was also Bickford 12th consecutive scoreless outing (7/9-8/24).
Kirk McCarty started for the Hillcats and took the loss after allowing two runs and five hits over five innings pitched. McCarty (L, 3-6, 5.37) struck out seven, walked two and reached 86 pitches in his outing. 
Relievers Yapson Gomez and Jonathan Teaney followed with Gomez going through two innings and Teaney turning in one. Gomez allowed three runs over his two inning appearance with two coming across in the sixth on a force hit into by Leugim Castillo and a double play rolled into by Zach Clark. Feliciano later drove in Carolina's third run against Gomez while hitting into a fielder's choice in the seventh. Teaney, meanwhile, worked a scoreless eighth with a walk, a strikeout and one hit allowed.
Tyler Freeman led the way for the Hillcats as he went 3-for-5 with a run in the loss. Will Benson went 2-for-5 with a run scoring single in the seventh and Jonathan Laureano went 1-for-3 with a run scoring sac fly in the third and a RBI single in the seventh.
Carolina improved to 2-0 in its final home stand with the Saturday night victory. They also took a two games to none lead in the series while winning their second straight and clinching a series victory in the three-game set with the Hillcats.
The series will conclude on Sunday with the first pitch scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at Five County Stadium. The Mudcats will have RHP Christian Taugner on the mound for Sunday's series finale; the Hillcats will go with RHP Juan Mota.
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 in high-definition video on MiLB.tv via paid subscription.
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