Mudcats Held Scoreless in 5-0 Home Finale Loss to Fayetteville

ZEBULON, NC - Starter Nelson Hernandez allowed a run in the first and four in the fifth as the Mudcats fell 5-0 to Fayetteville in the club's final home game of the 2019 season. The victory clinched a post-season berth for the Woodpeckers and dropped Carolina to 3-4 in its final home stand of the year.

David Hensley had a sac fly in the first to put Fayetteville (37-28, 68-66) up 1-0 and later added a two-run double to extended their lead to 5-0 in the fifth. Cal Stevenson also had a two-run double in the fifth as the Woodpeckers scored four runs in the inning while taking a five run lead midway through the game.
Hernandez (L, 11-10, 4.64) started for the Mudcats (26-40, 65-70) and ended up with the loss after allowing five runs on six hits over four and 1/3 innings pitched. Hernandez struck out two, but walked four with three of his four walks turning into runs in Fayetteville's four run and two hit fifth. 
Relievers J.T. Hintzen, Robbie Hitt and Michael Petersen worked the remainder of the game after Hernandez left with one out in the fifth. Hintzen inherited one and left that runner on while also working through an inning and 2/3 scoreless. Hitt followed with two scoreless between the seventh and eighth. Petersen then struck out two while working a scoreless ninth.
Fayetteville reliever Cody Deason earned the win after tossing three and 2/3 scoreless frames in relief of starter Austin Hansen who left the game with one out in the fifth. Hansen did not go long enough in the game to earn the win, but finished with eight strikeouts, three walks and one hit allowed over four and 1/3 scoreless innings.
Deason (W, 4-3, 3.57) totaled five strikeouts and scattered two hits over three and 2/3 innings while earning the victory. He was later followed by reliever Humberto Castellanos who finished the game with a walk and a strikeout over a scoreless frame.
Stevenson went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs and Hensley went 1-for-4 with three RBIs in the game for the Woodpeckers.
Rob Henry had two of Carolina's three hits in the game, including a single in the first and a double in the eighth. Eddie Silva also had a double and was hit by a pitch twice in the game. Carolina batters matched a season high with four hit by pitches in the game, bringing their franchise record for hit by pitches in a season to 105.
The Fayetteville victory, combined with a loss by the Myrtle Beach Pelicans earlier in the night, clinched a post-season berth for the Woodpeckers. The loss, meanwhile, dropped Carolina to 9-10 in shutouts this season.
The Carolina loss also came in the club's final home game of the 2019 season. It dropped Carolina to 3-4 in its final home stand of the year.
The Mudcats will conclude their season with a four game series in Salem beginning on Friday night at Haley Toyota Field against the Northern Division leading Red Sox.
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 in high-definition video on MiLB.tv via paid subscription.
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