Mudcats fall 4-2 in series finale

MYRTLE BEACH, SC - The Pelicans held off another ninth inning rally while clinching a series victory with a 4-2 win against the Mudcats at TicketReturn.Com Field on Sunday night in Myrtle Beach. Stephen Gaylor was 3-for-4 with a RBI in the loss for Carolina.

The Mudcats (7-11) outhit the Pelicans (10-8) in the game seven to three, but were just 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base. Carolina won just one game in the series and has lost eight of their last 10 games.

Starter Tommy Thorpe earned the win for the Pelicans after pitching into the sixth with just one run allowed. Matt Withrow took the loss despite allowing just two runs and two hits over five innings pitched.

Thorpe (2-1, 3.45) allowed one run and four hits over five and 1/3 innings and earned his second win of the season. Thorpe walked three and struck out five while pitching the Pelicans to the series finale victory. 

Withrow (0-1, 1.59) started for Carolina and pitched through the fifth for the first time this season while taking his first loss. The right-hander walked four, struck out one and allowed just two runs on two hits in the start. Withrow left after the fifth with 93 pitches thrown; 52 went for strikes.

The Pelicans led 2-0 after the fifth, but the Mudcats came back with a run in the sixth to cut the lead in half. Joseph Odom brought in Carolina's first run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth and did so against reliever Ryan McNeil who came in after Thorpe left earlier in the inning.

Bryton Trepagnier held the one run deficit through the sixth, but walked two in the seventh and was pulled from the game. Both runners allowed on by Trepagnier later scored in the seventh after new reliever Sean McLaughlin was unable to keep the Pelicans scoreless. Trepagnier was charged with both runs and allowed two runs while walking two and striking out two in an inning pitched. The two run seventh brought the Myrtle Beach lead to 4-1 in the seventh.

McNeil (H, 1) inherited two from Thorpe in the sixth and allowed just the one to score. He worked into the seventh and, in all, allowed just one hit in his appearance. James Farris (S, 3) worked the eighth and ninth and allowed a run and two hits while earning his third save.

Carolina rallied for a run in the ninth on a RBI single from Gaylor, but Farris eventually closed the inning to save the Pelicans' victory. The Mudcats left two men on base and had two hits in the ninth.

Myrtle Beach won the series three games to one and moved to three games ahead of the Mudcats in the Carolina League Southern Division standings. The Pelicans are also just a game back of first behind Salem. The Mudcats are in third place and four out of first.

The Mudcats are off on Monday and play again on Tuesday at Five County Stadium against the Wilmington Blue Rocks. Tuesday's game begins at 7:00 p.m. and is the first of three against Wilmington and the first of a six game homestand. Tuesday night is Diabetes Awareness night at Five County Stadium. Tickets are available by calling (919) 269-2287, online at www.carolinamudcats.com and in person at the box office.

# # #