Win Streak Ends at Five Straight as Mudcats Fall to Keys 4-1

ZEBULON, NC - Frederick's Cristian Alvarado struck out five over seven solid innings and Jake Ring hit a two-run home run in the seventh as the Keys snapped a nine game losing streak with a 4-1 road win versus the Mudcats on Saturday evening at Five County Stadium.

Alvarado (8-6, 4.17) allowed just one run and scattered five hits while leading the Keys (4-13, 40-47) to the victory and putting an end to Carolina's five game winning streak. He also finished without a walk and struck out five while reaching a season high 104 pitches (75 pitches) in the road victory.
Braden Webb started for the Mudcats (10-6, 44-42) and ended up with the loss despite allowing just two runs on five hits over six innings pitched. Webb (5-6, 3.58) allowed a run-scoring single to Daniel Fajardo in the second and saw Ring score on a double play grounded into by Alejandro Juvier in the fifth.
The Keys had a 2-0 lead before the Mudcats rallied for a run on a RBI groundout from Weston Wilson in the sixth. Wilson's RBI was his team leading 45th of the season. He also finished the game 1-for-4 while stretching his current hitting streak to eight straight games.
Carolina trailed 2-1 after six, but would then fall behind 4-1 when Ring crushed a two-run home run in the seventh off reliever Wuilder Rodriguez. The home run was Ring's third of the season and the second of four hits allowed by Rodriguez in the seventh. He also gave up a leadoff double to Chris Clare, a single to Juvier and a double to Cole Billingsley in his lone inning of work. Billingsley's double nearly scored Juvier from first, but Carolina caught him at home for the inning's second out on a relay in from center between right-fielder Ryan Aguilar, second baseman Nick Roscetti and catcher Nathan Rodriguez.
Rodriguez worked just the one inning in Saturday's home loss to Frederick. In all he allowed two runs on four hits and threw 19 pitches (12 strikes) in the seventh. Phil Bickford came in for the eighth and went on to work through the final two frames with just one hit allowed and two strikeouts. 
Alvarado started and worked a perfect seventh before handing the game over to relievers Mike Burke and Tyler Erwin. Burke (H, 1) retired the side in order in the eighth and Erwin (S, 8) did the same in the ninth while finishing out the game. Alvarado, Burke and Erwin combined to retire 12 straight to finish off the road win.
The loss was Carolina's first in their current home stand, dropping them to 5-1 over their last six home games. The seven game home stand will conclude on Sunday at Five County Stadium with the first pitch scheduled for 2:00 p.m. The game will air on the Mudcats Radio Network, the Big Dawg 98.5 FM and via TuneIn Radio at carolinamudcats.com. Tickets are available by visiting the Five County Stadium front office, by calling (919) 269-CATS (2287) and by visiting www.carolinamudcats.com/tickets.
# # #