Mudcats Come Up Short in 3-1 Loss to Buies Creek

ZEBULON, N.C. - The Mudcats rallied for a game tying run in the seventh, but Astros third baseman Abraham Toro broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth with a two-run home run while leading Buies Creek to a 3-1 victory over Carolina in the final of a four game series on Sunday afternoon at Five County Stadium.

Trey Supak started for the Mudcats (9-9) and pitched through the fifth with just one run allowed on five hits. He gave up a lead-off triple to Ronnie Dawson to start the game, before seeing Dawson score three batters later on a sacrifice fly. The triple was the first of three extra-base hits versus Supak, but he ended up allowing just the one Buies Creek (12-6) run while also walking one and striking out three.
Dawson's run in the first put the Astros up 1-0 in the opening frame and neither side would score again until Carolina scrapped across a run in the seventh to tie it at 1-1.
Carolina's seventh started with a strikeout from Ronnie Gideon, but then continued with a walk by Weston Wilson, a fly-out from Cooper Hummel, a single by Max McDowell and a walk by Rob Henry. The Mudcats managed to load the bases with two outs in the seventh before Ryan Aguilar went on to force in their only run of the game by being hit by a pitch thrown by Jesus Balaguer with the bags full. Balaguer (2-0, 4.50) suffered a blown save, but earned the victory for Buies Creek.
The game was tied 1-1 heading into the eighth, but after walking Josh Rojas to start the eighth, reliever Cody Beckman gave up a two-run home run to Toro and the Astros took a 3-1 lead. Toro's home run was his second of the season and it put the Astros up for good as they held on the rest of the way for the 3-1 series finale victory. 
Beckman (0-1, 7.20) suffered the loss after allowing Toro's homer in the eighth and while losing the 1-1 tie. Beckman (2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO) pitched the final two frames of the game and was brought in after fellow reliever Nattino Diplan (2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 SO) worked through two scoreless frames after Supak's start.
Reliever Carlos Sierra pitched the final two innings for the Astros and earned his second save after holding Carolina scoreless in the eighth and ninth. Sierra (S, 2) hit a batter in the ninth, but eventually finished out the game with a full count strikeout of Aguilar.
The Astros won Sunday's series finale and took games one and two earlier in the four game set, giving them three wins overall in the series. The loss, meanwhile, dropped the Mudcats back to a .500 record and to 3.0 games back of first behind the Astros. The loss was Carolina's first in a daytime start this season.
The Mudcats are off on Monday, April 23, but will continue their seven game home stand on Tuesday, April 24 versus the Myrtle Beach Pelicans at Five County Stadium.
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