Carolina Mudcats pound Myrtle Beach
A crowd of 4,014 in Zebulon saw the Mudcats (36-35, 2-0) jump out early on Pelicans starter Duane Underwood Jr. with a two run first and seven run second. Underwood Jr. (L, 6-3, 2.66) pitched into the second, but did not record an out. He left after facing four batters, with two men on base and with a two strike count on Connor Lien. Tyler Ihrig followed out of the bullpen and pitched the next five innings and allowed three more runs on three hits.
Blair Walters (W, 3-2, 2.76) pitched through the sixth and allowed just one run on five hits. The only blemish of his quality start came in the fourth when he allowed a solo home run to Victor Caratini. Walters walked one and struck out one while earning his second win as a starter this season.
The Mudcats led the Pelicans (41-30, 0-2) 9-0 through three before Caratini’s home run. They scored twice in the first on Jacob Schrader’s two-run home run and picked up nine more in the second. Schrader’s home run was his team best eighth of the season and stretched his current hitting streak to a career best eight straight games. Schrader was 1-for-4 with two runs scored and two driven in.
Jose Briceno and Johan Camargo started the seven run second with back-to-back singles off Underwood and Reed Harper followed with a five pitch walk. Curcio then drove in a couple with a bases loaded, broken bat single to left. Underwood then faced Lien, but left after throwing two strikes in the at-bat. Ihrig took over out of the pen and struck out Lien with one pitch for the inning’s first out. Ihrig continued the inning with two wild pitches, the second of which plated a Carolina run. He later walked Carlos Franco with the bases loaded to force in a run and gave up a two-run single to Meneses. Briceno then finished the second inning rally with a RBI single and was 2-for-2 in the inning.
Carolina scored nine runs over the first two innings and led 9-1 through the seventh before the Pelicans rallied for one run against reliever Jorge Zavala. Zavala was the second of three relievers to appear in the game for the Mudcats. Richie Tate pitched a scoreless sixth and allowed a hit and walked one. Zavala allowed two hits, one run and escaped a bases loaded jam with two strikeouts in the eighth. Andy Otero finished the game with a scoreless and hitless ninth.
Briceno led the way offensively with a 3-for-4 night at the plate. It was his first three hit game of the season. Curcio was 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI and both Dustin Peterson and Schrader scored twice and collected one hit each in the victory.
The win clinched a series victory for the Mudcats and put them in line for a sweep on Saturday night at Five County Stadium. Saturday’s game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. and is “Parrothead Night” in Zebulon. The Mudcats will wear specially designed beach themed jerseys during the game.
Friday’s box score
Myrtle Beach | ab | r | h | bi |
Zagunis, DH | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Chen, LF | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Young, 1B | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Candelario, 3B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Caratini, C | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Brown, RF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Penalver, SS | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Lockhart, 2B | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Martin, CF | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Totals | 33 | 2 | 8 | 2 |
Carolina | ab | r | h | bi |
Curcio, CF | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Lien, RF | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Peterson, LF | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Schrader, DH | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Franco, 3B | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Meneses, 1B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Briceno, C | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
Camargo, SS | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Harper, 2B | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Totals | 33 | 9 | 11 | 8 |
Myrtle Beach | 000 | 100 | 010 | — | 2 | 8 | 0 |
Carolina | 270 | 000 | 00X | — | 9 | 11 | 1 |
E — Camargo. DP– Myrtle Beach 2, Carolina 1. LOB– Myrtle Beach 10, Carolina 7. 2B–Martin, Lien, Briceno, Curcio. HR—Caratini (2), Schrader (8). CS—Zagunis. PO—Zagunis.
Myrtle BeachIP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | |
Underwood (L, 6-3) | 1 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
Ihrig | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
Conway | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
CarolinaIP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | |
Walters (W, 3-2) | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Tate | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Zavala | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Otero | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
This story was originally published June 26, 2015 at 11:22 PM with the headline "Carolina Mudcats pound Myrtle Beach."