ZEBULON, N.C. - Catcher Max McDowell had the lone run scoring hit in game one and catcher Robie Rojoas had the same in game two as the Mudcats edged out a doubleheader sweep of the Dash 5-2 and 2-0 on Sunday afternoon at Five County Stadium. The twin-bill sweep lifted
ZEBULON, N.C. - Catcher Max McDowell had the lone run scoring hit in game one and catcher Robie Rojoas had the same in game two as the Mudcats edged out a doubleheader sweep of the Dash 5-2 and 2-0 on Sunday afternoon at Five County Stadium. The twin-bill sweep lifted the Mudcats into a three games to one series victory over the visiting Dash.
Carolina (3-1) totaled just two hits in its 5-2 game one victory against Dylan Cease and Winston-Salem (1-3). Cease (0-1, 3.86) struck out seven over four and 2/3 innings and held the Mudcats without a hit into the fourth before Tucker Neuhaus singled to center with two outs in the fame. The only other hit yielded by Cease came in the fifth when McDowell looped a RBI single up the right field line to score the game tying run. McDowell went 1-for-3 with a RBI single for the Mudcats in the doubleheader opening game.
Carolina went on to rally for five runs in the game changing fifth, but did so with just one hit in the inning. Their go-ahead run came across on a catching error by Nate Nolan at home following a Ryan Aguilar bunt back to the mound with Luis Aviles Jr. Jr. managed to score from third when Nolan lost the handle on Cease's ensuing throw to the plate. Dallas Carroll then walked to load the bases and Keston Hiura was hit with a pitch with the bags full to plate Carolina's third run in the frame. Neuhaus followed with a sacrifice fly to deep right and a bases loaded walk by Ronnie Gideon later in the frame scored another run.
Cease left during the fifth and finished with just two earned runs allowed (five total) on two hits in his first start of the season. He also walked two before giving way to reliever Matt Foster who went on to finish the game (1.1 IP, 0 H, 2 BB) for the Dash.
Nathan Kirby, meanwhile, started game one for the Mudcats and worked through two scoreless frames with two strikeouts before allowing a home run to Mitch Roman and walking a batter in the third. Victor Diaz took over for Kirby and left an inherited runner on base while holding the Dash scoreless in the frame.
Diaz (1-0, 2.45) went on to scatter three hits and allow just one run while through the sixth. Jon Olczak then followed and pitched a scoreless seventh while earning his second straight save. Olczak (S, 2) pitched around a lead off single, walked one and struck out two in his lone inning of work.
Carolina later totaled just three hits, but scored twice while defeating the Dash in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader. Both Carolina runs came across in the second off Dash starter Danny Dopico, but were both unearned as an error early in the frame helped lead to a two-out, two-run rally.
Clint Coulter started the second inning with a walk and later scored on a RBI single to right-center from Rojas. The RBI knock came in Rojas' first at-bat with the Mudcats and it gave his new club a 1-0 lead. A wild pitch from Dopico (0-1, 0.00) later scored Gideon who had reached on an error by Yeyson Yrizarri earlier in the inning.
The two run Carolina second proved to be enough as starter Conor Harber and relievers Luke Barker, Nattino Diplan and Daniel Brown combined on a five hit shutout victory.
Harber struck out three, walked four and scattered four hits while working into the fifth. He left with two men on base, but Barker (W, 0.00) stranded both while hold the Dash scoreless in the frame. Barker went on to pitch a scoreless sixth and finished with the victory. Diplan came on for the seventh aand gave up back-to-back hits before recording an out and then leaving the game. The left-handed throwing Brown (S, 1) followed and struck out Blake Rutherford and Gavin Sheets (both lefties) to finish the game.
The Mudcats took three out of four from the Dash in the series and next play the Frederick Keys on Monday night as their season opening home stand continues at Five County Stadium. Monday's game is the first House Autry Family Fun Monday of the season and features $8.00 box seat tickets and free parking. Tickets are available by calling (919) 269-CATS (2287) and by visiting www.carolinamudcats.com/tickets.
Monday's game will feature LHP Cam Roegner making his first start of the new season for the Mudcats against Frederick's LHP Brian Gonzalez. The first pitch at Five County Stadium is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. 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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