Carolina drops third straight in Zebulon
ZEBULON, NC - Jacob Schrader hit a solo home run in the fourth and Brandon Barker allowed only two earned runs over six innings pitched, but the Hillcats scored eight unanswered runs over the final five innings while defeating the Mudcats 8-2 in front of a crowd of 5,384 on Friday in Zebulon.
The loss dropped the Mudcats (66-64, 32-29) to 7.0 games back of first place Winston-Salem in the second half standings. It was also their third straight loss and lowered their playoff elimination number to just two with nine left to play.
Schrader's home run in the fourth extended the Carolina lead to 2-0 before the midway point of the game and was his team best 14th of the season. The home run also brought his RBI total to a team best 58. Schrader was 2-for-4 with a run, a home run and a RBI in the loss.
Barker (L, 8-5, 3.00) held the visiting Hillcats (69-62, 36-25) scoreless from the first through the fourth before seeing the 2-0 lead slip away on a bloop two-run, two-out single by Yhoxian Medina in the fifth.
Lynchburg's Joe Sever broke the tie with a solo home run in the sixth and the Hillcats jumped out in front at 3-2. Sever's home run continued a scoring streak that included three Lynchburg runs off reliever Clayton Cook in the seventh and two ninth inning runs against reliever Jorge Zavala.
The Hillcats led 3-2 after the sixth and added five more unanswered runs while running away with the victory. They collected 13 hits and were 5-for-16 with runners in scoring position in the victory.
Michael Peoples took advantage of the 3-2 sixth inning lead and continued to keep the Mudcats quiet while pitching through the seventh. Peoples (W, 11-3, 3.50) allowed four hits, two runs, one walk, a home run and struck out five while earning the win.
Medina tied the game with his flair hit to right in the fifth and was 2-for-5 with three RBI and a run for the Hillcats in the victory. Sever was 1-for-4 with the go-ahead home run, two runs and a RBI and Dorsyss Paulino was 1-for-5 with two RBI.
The series continues on Saturday night with LHP Yean Carlos Gil getting the game three nod for Carolina. Gil will start opposite LHP Jayson Aquino and the Hillcats with the first pitch scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at Five County Stadium.
All games air on the Mudcats Radio Network, The Big Dawg 98.5 FM, Rock City 99.3 FM and Sports 1490 AM. Games are also streamed online at www.carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio and the TuneIn Radio app. TuneIn Radio is the official digital audio partner of MiLB.com.
Individual tickets are now available online at www.carolinamudcats.com, by calling (919) 269-2287 and by visiting the Five County Stadium box office.
Premium Field Level seats are $12.00, Box Seats are $10.00 and Cattail Skybox Seats are $15.00. Flex plans, group tickets and the "Muddy Unreal Deal" plan are also currently available for purchase.
The Carolina Mudcats are the Class-A Advanced affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. The 2015 "Braves New World" season is the first for the Mudcats as an affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and their fourth straight in the historic Carolina League. First established in 1991, the Carolina Mudcats are entering their 25th straight season of baseball at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, N.C. Fans can purchase tickets or find more information by calling (919) 269-2287 or by visiting www.carolinamudcats.com.
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