Mudcats commit six errors in series finale loss

ZEBULON, N.C. - The Mudcats committed a season high six errors while losing to the Pelicans 6-3 in Monday's series finale at Five County Stadium. The loss dropped the Mudcats into a four game series split with the visiting Pelicans and back into third place in the Carolina Southern Division standings. 

Cody Ponce (5-4, 3.14) started for the Mudcats (27-24) and took the loss after working through the fifth with eight strikeouts and five runs allowed on six hits. Of his five runs allowed, only one was earned, as the Mudcats were charged with six errors in the game. 
The slew of errors included one by Luis Aviles Jr., two by Carlos Belonis, one by reliever Eric Hanhold, one by Isan Díaz and one by Jake Gatewood. The six error game fell one shy of Carolina's franchise record of seven in a game (last occurring on August 1, 2002).
The Pelicans (28-24) took advantage of the errors committed by Aviles and Belonis in the second while scoring four unearned runs to take an early 4-0 lead. They later got a home run from Robert Garcia in the fourth and added one more run in the sixth when Bryant Flete had a run scoring single off Hanhold. 
Garcia was 1-for-3 with two runs for the Pelicans in the series finale victory. He homered in the fourth and also scored in the sixth on a RBI single from Bryant Flete. Flete also had a run scoring hit in the fourth and was 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Tyler Alamo scored in the second and fourth innings and was 2-for-4 in the game for the Pelicans.
Aviles led off the Carolina third with a solo home run and Troy Stokes Jr. later added a sac fly in the same frame as Carolina cut the lead to 4-2. The home run was the fourth of the season for Aviles and was a solo shot the other way to straightaway right. Both runs were scored off Myrtle Beach starter Justin Steele, but were two of only three runs scored in the Carolina loss.
Steele (3-3, 2.55) struck out seven and allowed two runs on three hits while earning the win for the Pelicans. Reliever Michael Rucker followed Steele in the seventh and pitched into the ninth before giving way to Dillon Maples. Rucker (3.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 SO) left the game with two men on base in the ninth and Maples (0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 SO) later allowed one to score while finishing the game.
Ponce worked through the fifth in his start (snapping a streak of four straight games of seven innings or more) and both Hanhold and Wuilder Rodriguez would end up following him out of the pen. Hanhold (2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO) worked the sixth and seventh and allowed a run on three hits. Rodriguez (2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO) later pitched the eighth and ninth and struck out one while working through two no-hit and scoreless frames.
The final run of the game scored during the ninth when Lucas Erceg singled and scored on a groundout by Max McDowell. Erceg and Corey Ray were both 1-for-4 in the loss for Carolina. Aviles and Belonis were both 2-for-4.
UP NEXT: The Mudcats are off on Tuesday, but will be back in action on Wednesday in Buies Creek as they take on the first place Astros at Jim Perry Stadium at Campbell University. The Mudcats will enter Wednesday's game at 2.5 games back of the Astros in the Southern Division standings.
Wednesday's game will air on the Mudcats Radio Network, The Big Dawg 98.5 FM and carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio beginning at 6:45 p.m.
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