Mudcats outlast Red Sox 7-6

Bryan Mata returned to Salem for the first time in over a month Friday in Zebulon. (John Wacher)

June 7, 2019

ZEBULON, North Carolina (June 7, 2019) - Salem rallied for four runs in the ninth inning but a late Carolina home run proved fateful as the Red Sox fell to the Mudcats 7-6 Friday night at Five Counties Stadium.How it Happened * Garrett Benge broke up a no-hitter and scoreless

ZEBULON, North Carolina (June 7, 2019) - Salem rallied for four runs in the ninth inning but a late Carolina home run proved fateful as the Red Sox fell to the Mudcats 7-6 Friday night at Five Counties Stadium.

How it Happened
* Garrett Benge broke up a no-hitter and scoreless tilt in the fourth inning with a double to score Marcus Wilson and take a 1-0 lead.
* Wilson returned the favor and extended Salem 2-0 over Carolina with his own RBI double in the sixth inning.
* Bryan Mata tossed five innings of scoreless, two-hit ball. He struck out five Mudcats.
* Trouble struck Salem in the sixth inning as all nine Mudcats reached the plate. Mario Feliciano brought the first run home on a bases-loaded hit by pitch, Payton Henry doubled to cross two more and Eddie Silva dropped a single to push the fourth run. Henry crossed the plate to advance Carolina 5-2.
* Feliciano added insult to injury with his second home run in as many days, giving Carolina 7-2 insurance in the seventh.
* Tanner Nishioka sparked a Red Sox rally in the ninth inning. The outfielder lined a first-pitch single to score two. Ryan Fitzgerald doubled and brought another run home and Nishioka brought the tilt within one when he sped home after a wild pitch. Clayton Andrews halted Salem's attempts with a strikeout to end the contest and hand Salem a 7-6 loss.
Standout Sox
* Tanner Nishioka: 1-for-5, 2 RBI, R
* Marcus Wilson: 2-for-3, RBI, R, 2 2B, 2 BB
* Ryan Fitzgerald: 1-for-4, RBI, 2B
* Garrett Benge: 1-for-4, RBI
* Bryan Mata: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

Noteworthy
* Mata's start was his first since hitting the Injured List May 5, 2019.

What's Next
Salem Red Sox at Carolina Mudcats Saturday, June 7, 2019. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 PM EST.
LHP Enmanuel DeJesus vs. RHP Dylan File
Listen: SalemSox.com, TuneIn Radio, ESPN Blacksburg WKEX 1430 AM/94.1 FM, ESPN Roanoke WGMN 1240 AM/93.3 FM
Watch: MiLB TV
The Salem Red Sox are the Advanced-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and call Haley Toyota Field in Salem, Virginia home. The team was founded in 1968 and purchased by Fenway Sports Management in December of 2007. For more information on the Salem Red Sox, please visit SalemRedSox.com or contact Melanie Newman at [email protected].