Dash drop series opener in front of 7,277 fans

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Aug. 26, 2016) - A crowd of 7,277 fans, the sixth-largest in BB&T Ballpark history, saw the Dash fall to the Carolina Mudcats 7-1 in the opener of their final home series of the season on Friday.

Carolina (17-43, 46-84) scored quickly against Dash starter Zach Thompson (2-5). Travis Demeritte and Luis Valenzuela led off the game with back-to-back singles against the Winston-Salem righty. With Dylan Moore at the plate, Thompson uncorked a wild pitch that moved the runners up to second and third. Later in the at-bat, Moore plated Demeritte on an RBI groundout to give the Mudcats a 1-0 edge.

Winston-Salem (25-35, 53-77) responded in the bottom of the frame. With runners on first and second and two outs, Gerson Montilla blooped an RBI single against Matt Withrow (8-6) down the right field line to tie the game at one. Montilla now has six RBIs in his last two games and a team-high 71 on the season. That proved to be the lone blemish for the Withrow, who went 6.2 innings and allowed just five hits.

The Mudcats used an error to break the 1-1 tie in the fifth. J.B. Moss led off the inning with a fly ball to left, but Landon Lassiter could not corral it in left, allowing Moss to get to second on a two-base error. After Tanner Murphy stroked a single to put runners on first and third, Erison Mendez laid down a safety squeeze to bring home Moss and make it a 2-1 contest. Demeritte followed an RBI single to put Carolina up two.

Overall, Thompson threw 6.2 innings, allowing 11 hits and three runs (two earned), in his second-longest High-A outing.

Carolina capped the scoring with four runs in the ninth against Dash reliever Ryan Riga. With the loss, the Dash have dropped 10 out their last 11 games overall and four straight at BB&T Ballpark. 

A couple of newcomers did shine for Winston-Salem. Left-hander Alex Katz, making his third appearance with the Dash, tossed 1.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. The lefty also struck out three in the outing. Dash catcher Daniel Gonzalez, who made his fourth start at the High-A on Friday, posted his first multi-hit contest with Winston-Salem by going 2-for-3 with a double.

The Dash continue their final homestand of the season on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. from BB&T Ballpark. Winston-Salem sends right-hander Kelvis Valerio (3-5, 4.64 ERA) to the hill against Carolina righty Ryan Clark (1-13, 5.99 ERA). The Pregame Dash begins at 6:15 p.m., and fans can tune in at wsdash.com/broadcast, MiLB.tv and the TuneIn Radio App.

The current homestand features a Food Truck Saturday and a jam-packed Sunday. The promotions on August 28 include a Lowes Foods Family Sunday, Pups in the Park (presented by Drontal Plus) and a Fan Appreciation Day (presented by Styron Floor Covering). The latter event allows fans in attendance to choose one free gift from the Hanes Team Store and 10 percent off most items. For tickets, call the Baker Roofing Box Office at (336) 714-2287 or visit wsdash.com.