ZEBULON, N.C. - Lynchburg's Ka'ai Tom went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run and four RBIs while leading the Hillcats to a sweep clinching 5-0 victory versus the Mudcats on Thursday night at Five County Stadium.
ZEBULON, N.C. - Lynchburg's Ka'ai Tom went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run and four RBIs while leading the Hillcats to a sweep clinching 5-0 victory versus the Mudcats on Thursday night at Five County Stadium.
The home loss came in front of a Thursday night crowd of 4,448 in Zebulon and stretched Carolina's current losing streak to five straight games. The loss also dropped the Mudcats (56-59, 20-27) to 4-4 in series sweeps and 8-7 in shutouts this season.
Brock Hartson started for the Hillcats (69-47, 29-18) and pitched through six scoreless innings with five strikeouts and three walks while earning the victory. Hartson (6-4, 2.98) pitched around leadoff hits in the third, fourth and sixth innings while holding the Mudcats scoreless and to just three hits in the game.
Jordan Yamamoto started and took the loss after allowing Tom's go-ahead RBI single in the fourth and his three-run home run in the sixth. Yamamoto (5-4, 3.32) allowed four runs in all, but ended up with a quality start (his sixth of the season) as only one of his four runs allowed were earned. Carolina's starter also struck out seven and walked two in the loss.
Tom drove in four runs for the Hillcats, with all four coming against his former high school teammate in Yamamoto. Both Tom and Yamamoto played together at Saint Louis High School in Honolulu, HI in 2012.
Fellow Hawaiian Kodi Medeiros followed Yamamoto and pitched through the final three innings out of the bullpen for the Mudcats. Medeiros allowed a run on one hit finished with a walk and a strikeout in his relief appearance.
Relievers Jared Robinson (2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 SO) and Justin Garcia (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 SO) both followed Hartson and combined to hold Carolina scoreless over the final three frames.
The Mudcats managed to get two men on in both the eighth and ninth innings, but failed to score. Carolina went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position in the loss and left eight men on base.
UP NEXT: The Mudcats next play on Friday night in Myrtle Beach in game one of three versus the Pelicans and in game one of a seven game road trip through Myrtle Beach and Down East. Newly promoted starter Zack Brown will start for the Mudcats in Friday's series opener in Myrtle Beach. The game is scheduled to begin at 7:05 p.m. and 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 via live video at MiLB.tv.
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