Mudcats swept in three straight versus Salem

ZEBULON, N.C. - The Red Sox finished off a three game sweep of the Mudcats with an 8-3 series finale victory on Thursday night at Five County Stadium. Trent Clark was 3-for-4 with a double, a triple and two RBIs for the Mudcats in the loss.

Shaun Anderson started for the Red Sox (50-34, 10-5) and worked through the fifth with three runs allowed on five hits. He also walked two and struck out three while leading his club to the series finale victory. 
Carolina (44-39, 8-7) starter Marcos Diplan also worked through five innings and into the sixth, but ended up allowing four runs on four hits and took the loss. 
Diplan (4-5, 5.84) lost a scoreless tie in the second after giving up a two-run home run to Salem's Tate Matheny. The homer was Diplan's ninth allowed this season and it dropped him and the Mudcats into a 2-0 hole.
Carolina eventually came back with three runs in the fourth and did so while collecting three hits of Anderson (2-2, 5.05). Jake Gatewood sparked the rally with a double to left-center and Isan Díaz followed with a walk. Clark then hit a deep triple to center and both Gatewood and Diaz scored to tie the game up at 2-2. Luis Aviles Jr. then broke the tie with a line drive single to right to give the Mudcats their only lead of the game at 3-2.
Clark also had a single in the second and doubled in the ninth while falling a home run shy of the cycle. Gatewood was 1-for-4 in the game with a double and a run scored. His double was his team leading 27th of the season.
Diplan followed the three run third with a scoreless fourth and fifth, but lost the lead after allowing a single and hitting a batter to put two on with two outs in the sixth. Frank Lopez then entered in relief of Diplan and allowed both inherited runners to score on bases loaded walks. 
Lopez also gave up two runs of his own in the sixth and later allowed two more in the seventh before leaving the game. Lopez finished his second relief appearance with four earned runs allowed on five hits in just two innings and suffered a blown save.
Diplan ended up also allowing four earned runs and did so on four hits over five plus innings. Diplan also walked one and struck out five in his start.
The four run Salem fourth featured run scoring walks from Tyler Spoon and Matheny. It also included a RBI single from Jordan Betts and a run scoring force out hit into by Jhon Nunez.
Salem's two run seventh included a run scoring triple from Josh Ockimey and a RBI double from Sermo.
The Red Sox led 8-3 after their two run seventh and neither bullpen would end up allowing another run in the game. 
Brad Kuntz worked through a scoreless eighth with two hits allowed and a strikeout. Nate Griep later worked the ninth and struck out two for Carolina.
Logan Boyd followed Anderson and pitched through three scoreless in his Salem debut. He allowed just one hit and struck out five while earning his first hold. Marc Brakeman later pitched the ninth and left the bases full while keeping the Mudcats scoreless in the final frame.

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