Mudcats lose 5-3 in road opener in Winston-Salem

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Trent Clark led off the game with a home run, Troy Stokes Jr. launched his team leading 12th homer of the year and Jordan Yamamoto struck out eight over six solid innings, but the Mudcats lost their series opener 5-3 to the Dash at BB&T Ballpark on Friday night.

Carolina (44-40, 8-8) led first in Friday's series opener after Clark started the game with a solo home run to right off Dash (31-55, 7-9) starter Brannon Easterling. The lead off blast was Clark's eighth home run of the season and was the only run of the game until Danny Mendick hit a go-ahead, two-run home run in the fifth.
Yamamoto started for Carolina and had worked through four scoreless before allowing Mendick's two-run shot in the fifth. Mendick was 1-for-3 in the game for Winston-Salem and drove in two.
The 2-1 Dash lead, however, did not last long as Stokes followed with a solo home run to left-center in the sixth while tying the game at 2-2. Stokes also had a single and a double in the game and was 3-for-4 with a run and a RBI.
Easterling allowed the game tying home run to Stokes in the sixth and finished with two runs allowed on eight hits. He also struck out eight and did not issue a walk in his start. 
Yamamoto also pitched through the sixth and finished with two runs allowed on four hits. He matched a season high with eight strikeouts and walked two in his outing. Neither Yamamoto nor Easterling earned a decision in the game.
Conor Harber eventually took over out of the bullpen for the Mudcats and ended up taking the loss after allowing three Dash runs over the seventh and eighth innings. Harber (1-6, 6.10) gave up a go-ahead RBI double to Seby Zavala in the seventh and a bases loaded two-run double to Zavala in the eighth.
Zavala was 3-for-3 with three RBIs in the series opening victory for the Dash. His two-run double in the eighth came on a two-strike pitch from Harber and with two outs in the inning.
The Mudcats later rallied for one more run in the ninth on a RBI double from Cooper Hummel, but ended up falling short in their comeback bid as they left two on in the final frame. Hummel's run scoring double in the ninth drove in Isan Díaz after he had singled to right to start the inning. Diaz was 3-for-4 in the loss and scored once.
Jack Charleston worked the ninth for the Dash and earned the save after holding the Mudcats to a run on three hits. Louie Lechich (H, 3) pitched a scoreless eighth and Mike Morrison (1-0, 1.91) earned the win after working a scoreless seventh.
The loss stretched Carolina's current losing streak to four straight games. It was also just their second loss this season against Winston-Salem.
UP NEXT: The Mudcats and Dash will continue their four game series on Saturday night at BB&T Ballpark with the first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Left-hander Kodi Medeiros (3-6, 5.00) will start for the Mudcats in game two of the four game set on Saturday night. 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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