Cease, Dash bats lead Winston to fifth straight win

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (April 13, 2018) - Behind a dominant start from right-hander Dylan Cease and a pair of four-run innings from the Dash offense, Winston-Salem earned its fifth straight win with a 8-1 victory over the Carolina Mudcats on Friday night at BB&T Ballpark. 
Cease (1-1) cruised through his six innings of work, striking out five and allowing just four total baserunners-two singles and two walks. The right-hander, who tied a career-high with his six frames, mowed down the Mudcats (5-4) offense to earn his first victory as a White Sox farmhand. 

The offense provided more than enough support for the right-hander. In the second inning, Winston-Salem (6-3) staked Cease to a 4-0 lead, batting around and plating four runs on four hits against Mudcats starter Nathan Kirby (0-1). After Micker Adolfo and Gavin Sheets started the inning with back-to-back singles, Ti'Quan Forbes brought Adolfo in as the first run of the game with a single of his own. Sheets was later forced in after Kirby issued back-to-back walks. 
The southpaw exited the game after just 1.2 innings pitched. He allowed four runs on three hits, striking out three and walking two. Right-hander Victor Diaz entered to try and stop the onslaught, but Luis Basabe greeted him by roping an two-run single to center to make it a 4-0 contest. 
Basabe finished the game 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs, tallying his third three-hit game of the season. Winston-Salem's offense registered 11 hits, good for its fifth straight game with double-digit hits.
The offensive barrage picked back up in the fifth. The Dash once again sent nine men to the plate, collecting four more runs on five more hits. The first six batters in the frame reached, with the big blows coming from Joel Booker's RBI double and Adolfo's two-run single. Sheets' RBI double capped the scoring for Winston-Salem. 
Carolina's lone run came in the seventh, when Clint Coulter launched a José Ruiz fastball down the left-field line for his first home run of the season. Ruiz worked two frames, allowing the one run and striking out three. Zach Thompson polished off the Friday night victory for the Dash, tossing a 1-2-3 ninth. 
Winston-Salem continues its series with the Mudcats on Saturday at 6:00 at BB&T Ballpark. The Dash send right-hander Ricardo Pinto (0-0, 16.20) to the mound against Mudcats' southpaw Cam Roegner (1-0, 0.00). Pregame coverage begins at 5:45 p.m., and fans can catch all of the action on wsdash.com/broadcast, MiLB.tv and the TuneIn Radio App. 
The Dash continue their opening homestand on Saturday with the third game of their four-game series against the Carolina Mudcats. Saturday's contest is a Chick-fil-A Four Pack Night and Sunday is a Lowes Foods Family Sunday. For tickets and more information, call the Dash at (336) 714-2287 or visit wsdash.com.