Clark hits two triples in 8-3 series opening loss

ZEBULON, N.C. - Trent Clark was 2-for-4 with two triples and Jake Gatewood was 1-for-4 with a home run, but the Mudcats lost a 3-0 lead in the fifth while falling to the visiting Buies Creek Astros 8-3 on Thursday night at Five County Stadium.

Kodi Medeiros started for the Mudcats (48-47, 12-15) and worked through four scoreless frames before giving up four runs in the fifth and losing the three run Carolina lead. Medeiros (3-8, 5.11) left after the sixth and finished with four runs allowed on five hits while also striking out four and walking only one in the loss.
Anibal Sierra led the way for the Astros (55-42, 18-9) after going 3-for-4 with five RBIs. He had a game tying, bases loaded triple in the fifth and hit a two-run home run in the seventh. Sierra also singled in the ninth and was a double shy of the cycle.
Sierra hit ninth in the Buies Creek lineup and scored three times in the game. Tyler Wolfe hit eighth and was 2-for-4 with two runs, Randy César hit seventh and was 1-for-3 with two runs and Anthony Hermelyn went 1-for-4 with a run out of the sixth spot.
Carolina originally led 3-0 lead in the game after scoring two runs in the second and one more in the third against Astros' starter Matt Bower. Gatewood started the early scoring with an opposite field home run (11) to right and Clark kept it going with a RBI triple that scored Lucas Erceg. Isan Díaz later had a RBI single in the third that scored Corey Ray and the Mudcats led 3-0 after the third.
Ray went 2-for-5 with a run and Diaz was 1-for-2 with a RBI in Thursday's series opening loss to the Astros. Clark finished the game 2-for-4 with two triples, but did not score a run. His triple in the sixth knocked Bower out of the game, but reliever Kevin Hill followed and managed to keep Clark at third while holding the then 4-3 Buies Creek lead.
Hill earned the save for the Astros after working through the final three and 2/3 innings without allowing a run. Hill (S, 1) also held the Carolina offense to just one hit and struck out five.
The Mudcats had previously totaled three runs on six hits, including two triples and a home run against Bower (4-4, 5.75) before Hill took over.
Carolina's 3-0 lead disappeared in the fifth when Sierra tied the game with his triple to left and then Stephen Wrenn's go-ahead sacrifice fly in the same frame. The Astros led 4-3 through the sixth until Sierra extended the lead with a two-run home run off reliever Luke Barker.
Barker entered the game in the seventh in place of Medeiros and ended up allowed two runs on three hits over three innings. He also struck out three and left runners at first and third in the eighth.
Scott Grist later pitched the ninth and went on to allowed two runs on three hits in his lone inning of work. 
UP NEXT: The Mudcats and Astros will continue the series on Friday night at Five County Stadium with the first pitch scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Friday's game marks the conclusion of Carolina's short two game home stand as the series will shift to Buies Creek on Saturday night. Friday's game will feature post-game fireworks presented by Sears Home Services. 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 via live video on MiLB.tv.
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