LYNCHBURG, VA - Braden Webb totaled a career high nine strikeouts and Ronnie Gideon went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run and three RBI as the Mudcats opened up a three game series versus the Hillcats with a 7-0 victory at City Stadium in Lynchburg on Tuesday night.
LYNCHBURG, VA - Braden Webb totaled a career high nine strikeouts and Ronnie Gideon went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run and three RBI as the Mudcats opened up a three game series versus the Hillcats with a 7-0 victory at City Stadium in Lynchburg on Tuesday night.
Webb (3-3, 4.26) worked through six scoreless innings, with two hits, one walk and a career best nine strikeouts. He also became the first Carolina (26-25) starter to reach as many as nine strikeouts in a start thi season while also pitching to a team best 79 game score.
The Carolina offense also set a new season high as they totaled five doubles in the game, including three in the first versus Lynchburg (24-24) starter Sam Hentges. The Mudcats totaled eight hits off Hentges (3-4, 3.83) with five of those eight counting for doubles. He also allowed six runs (five earned), walked three and struck out four while taking the loss.
Keston Hiura sparked the first inning rally with his Carolina League leading 16th double of the season, before scored moments later when Tucker Neuhaus had a RBI double in the next at-bat. Hentges later allowed another run scoring double to Gideon in the first as the Mudcats took an early 2-0 lead in the game.
Carolina later added one more run when Dallas Carroll hit into a bases loaded double play in the second and then got another run scoring double from Gideon in the third. They led 4-0 through the fourth before later adding two more runs in the fifth when Luis Aviles Jr. Jr. brought in another run with a single to left and Ryan Aguilar forced in one after hitting into a force out to right (Aviles was caught at second).
The Mudcats later took a 7-0 lead when Gideon hit a solo home run to left off reliever Anderson Polanco. The home run was Polanco's only mistake as he pitched through a total of two and 2/3 innings with two hits and five strikeouts. Relievers Ben Krauth (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 SO) and Dalbert Siri (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 SO) also appeared in the game for the Hillcats.
Webb carried the shutout effort through the sixth and relievers Daniel Brown and Braulio Ortiz went on to hold it through the end of the game. Brown struck out one, walked two and allowed one hit overall in his appearance. Ortiz pitched the ninth and struck out two while finishing the game.
The shutout victory was Carolina's seventh shutout win of the season and brought them to back to a game above .500 for the season at 26-25. The series will continue on Wednesday night at Calvin Falwell Field with Carolina League and MiLB earned run average leader LHP Cam Roegner starting for Carolina.
# # #
