Mudcats Slug Their Way to Twin-Bill Sweep in Kinston

KINSTON, NC - Payton Henry homered twice and Mario Feliciano hit his Carolina League leading 18th home run of the season in game one and Tristen Lutz provided all of the offense with a solo home run in game two win as Carolina took both games of Thursday's doubleheader 9-5 and 1-0 versus the Wood Ducks at Grainger Stadium in Kinston.

Carolina (20-27, 59-57) ended up leaving Kinston with a series victory after winning two of three in the series following the twin-bill sweep of the Wood Ducks (28-18, 78-38). The Mudcats also finished their six-game road trip at 3-3 after dropping two of three in Winston-Salem and take two of three versus Down East.
Brice Turang got the Carolina offense going immediately in game one as he started things with a double to left on the very first pitch thrown by Down East starter Reid Anderson. Feliciano then followed with a two-run home run on the second pitch thrown by Anderson (L, 6-6, 4.17) as the Mudcats jumped out to the early 2-0 lead. The home run as his league best 18th of the season and brought his RBI total to a league high 76.
Lutz followed Feliciano's homer with a single and Henry then connected on what was his first of two home runs in the game in the very next at bat. Wes Rogers then singled and scored on a force rolled into by Devin Hairston later in the frame as Carolina scored five times in the first.
Henry homered again in the second while extending the Carolina lead to 7-0. Henry's multi-homer game was his second of the season and brought his homer total to 13 on the season. Henry ended up going 2-for-3 with two runs, two home runs and four RBI in game one for the Mudcats.
The Wood Ducks eventually bounced back with a run in the second and one more in the third before later scoring three more in the sixth while pulling within two of the lead. The Mudcats then answered with a two run seventh after Lutz doubled and scored on a single from Rogers and a sacrifice fly from Trever Morrison.
Noah Zavolas started game one for the Mudcats and pitched through four innings with two runs allowed on six hits. Zavolas totaled 75 pitches (47 strikes) in his outing and finished with two walks and four strikeouts. 
Reliever Peter Strzelecki followed Zavolas and allowed three runs on four hits while pitching through an inning and 2/3. Strzelecki (W, 1-0, 7.36) also struck out three and earned the victory while pitching through the fifth and part of the sixth. Anthony Bender followed and earned the save after working through an inning and 1/3 scoreless. Bender (S, 2) allowed one of two inherited runners to score, allowed one hit and struck out one while earning the save.
Anderson took the game one loss for the Woodies after giving up seven runs on nine hits over four innings pitched. He was later followed by Josh Advocate who struck out five and went on to allow one run and one hit over two and 1/3 innings. Joe Kuzia finished the game for Down East and gave up one run and two hits while recording two outs in his appearance.
Game two saw just the one run score as Lutz broke a scoreless tie in the fourth with a majestic home run to left off starter John King. The home was Lutz's 12th of the season and was also his lone hit of the game. Lutz, however, had three hits in game one while totaling four hits overall, including a double and a home run, between both games.
King (L, 2-4, 2.03) allowed just the one run on four hits and struck out four over five innings in the loss. He was later followed by reliever Michael Matuella who went on to work two scoreless frames with a walk and four strikeouts to finish the game.
Hardy, meanwhile, started for the Carolina and pitched through three scoreless with two strikeouts and two hits allowed. The spot start was both his third of the season and the third of his professional career. 
Bickford (W, 2-0, 4.34) pitched the fourth and fifth while totaling three strikeouts and one hit allowed. He did have to work around a bases loaded jam in the fourth, but ended working two scoreless frames in all while stretching his current scoreless streak to 12.0 consecutive innings.
Carolina's relievers Beckman (H, 7) and Petersen (S, 2) went on to finish the game as Beckman worked through a scoreless sixth with a hit allowed and one strikeout. Petersen then pitched the final frame and earned his second save of the season after walking one and totaling three strikeouts in the seventh. 
The doubleheader accounted for the final two meetings of Carolina's series at Down East and the final two games of the season between the two teams. The Wood Ducks ended up winning the overall season series 14-6, but Carolina did manage to salvage a series victory after taking Thursday's twin-bill. It was Carolina's only series win versus the Wood Ducks this season.
The Mudcats next return to Five County Stadium for a new six game, seven day, home stand on Friday night in Zebulon. The next home stand will include three games versus the Salem Red Sox from Friday, August 9 through Sunday, August 11 and three games versus the Winston-Salem Dash from Tuesday, August 13 through Thursday, August 15. 
Individual game tickets, season ticket plans, group ticket packages and the latest mini plans are all available now by visiting the Five County Stadium front office, by calling (919) 269-CATS (2287) and by visiting carolinamudcats.com/tickets.
The Carolina Mudcats are the proud Carolina League, Class-A Advanced affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. First established in 1991, the two-time Southern League Champion Mudcats are in their 29th consecutive season of baseball at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, N.C. The Mudcats are owned and operated by the Milwaukee Brewers.
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