Offensive explosion leads Winston to 17-0 win

ZEBULON, N.C. (July 20, 2018) - Behind 23 hits from the Dash offense, which tied a season-high, and a brilliant start from Kyle Kubat, Winston-Salem trounced Carolina 17-0 on Friday night at Five County Stadium in the series finale.
Winston-Salem (18-10, 59-39) got off to a hot start in the first inning against Victor Diaz (5-6), scoring three runs on four hits and one error. After Luis González led off with a single through the right side, he came around to score on an RBI double from Ti'Quan Forbes. But, Forbes broke for the plate on a slow comebacker from Blake Rutherford and was thrown out trying to score after getting in a rundown.

Later in the inning, Mitch Roman lofted a single into left field to plate Rutherford, and moved to second on the throw home. Gavin Sheets followed with an opposite-field single to put runners on the corners with one out. Then, Yermin Mercedes hit a grounder to shortstop that Mudcats shortstop Nick Roscetti could not field cleanly, allowing Roman to score the last run of the frame.
Working with a 3-0 lead, Kubat (4-1) took the hill for his second start of the season. The southpaw promptly struck out the Mudcats (15-12, 49-48) in order in each of the first two frames.
Meanwhile, the Dash added to their lead in the third inning. With one out, Mercedes and JJ Muno hit back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second. Next, Yeyson Yrizarri hit a chopper to shortstop that skipped past Roscetti, allowing Mercedes to score on the error. Then, Nolan Brown capped the barrage by blasting a two-run triple to deep right-center field to put Winston-Salem in front 6-0. 
Brown finished the game a homer shy of the cycle, going 3-for-6 with a double, triple and three RBIs in his High-A debut.
Mercedes continued the offensive onslaught, blasting a solo home run over the left-field fence to lead off the fifth inning. His seventh home run of the season extended the Dash lead to 7-0.
Kubat dominated in his career-high five innings on the mound. He struck out a career-high 10 batters and did not walk a batter, allowing just two hits and yielding no runs en route to earning his fourth win of the season.
Winston-Salem added three more runs in the sixth. First, Forbes bashed a double off the left-field fence. Then, after Rutherford drew a walk, Sheets singled up the middle to bring home Forbes and move Rutherford to third. Mercedes skied a sacrifice fly to left-center field, plating Rutherford to make it a 9-0 game. Next, Muno hit a high pop up in front of the mound, but Weston Wilson and Pat McInerney collided in the infield and the ball fell, resulting in an RBI double.
The Dash offense did not relent, scoring two more runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth. In the seventh inning, Brown singled, and he moved to second on a wild pitch. Following a walk to Gonzalez, Brown came in to score on a single from Rutherford. Next, Roman hit a bouncer down the third base line and Gonzalez, who had moved to third on a wild pitch, crossed the plate to make it 12-0. 
An inning later, Muno singled and Yrizarri doubled to start the inning, putting runners on second and third with nobody out. Following an RBI groundout from Brown, Gonzalez laced a single into left-center field to bring home Yrizarri. Then, Roman added his third RBI of the night with a single into left. 
Roman's single gave the Dash their 20th hit of the game, marking the third time this season that Winston-Salem has tallied 20 or more hits in a single game. 
Winston-Salem picked up right where it left off in the ninth against Cooper Hummel, a position player for the Muddies. After Mercedes drew a leadoff walk, Muno socked his first career home run, a two-run shot to right field. Muno, making his first start for Winston-Salem, went 4-for-6 with a home run, double and three RBIs.
Yrizarri followed Muno with a double, and Gonzalez capped the 23-hit effort with a single. With the win, the Dash avoid a series sweep, and the ballclub has still not been swept through the first 98 games of the year. 
The Dash begin a three-game series against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on Saturday, when right-hander Blake Battenfield (2-1, 4.97 ERA) faces left-hander Bryan Hudson (6-7, 4.84 ERA). Pregame coverage begins at 5:50 p.m. and fans can catch all the action on wsdash.com/broadcast, MiLB.tv, and the TuneIn radio app.
Meanwhile, the Dash return to BB&T Ballpark on Tuesday for a three-game series against the Frederick Keys. Promotions for the homestand include a Free Food Tuesday, a camp day on Wednesday and a Lowes Foods Thirsty Thursday. For tickets and more information, call the Dash at (336) 714-2287 or visit wsdash.com.