Povse sets career high with 11 Ks in 3-1 weather shortened loss

Max Povse set a new career high with 11 strikeouts over six innings and Tanner Murphy hit a solo home run in the fourth, but the Mudcats lost weather shortened seven-inning game 3-1 to the Hillcats in front of 5,271 at Five County Stadium on Saturday night.

Saturday’s game resulted in Carolina’s season high seventh straight loss and started at 10:03 p.m. in Zebulon after a 3 hour and three minute rain delay. The game was later stopped in the seventh inning for :30 minutes due to fog and was eventually called with one on and no outs in the seventh inning.

Povse (5-5, 3.71) started for Carolina (31-49, 2-8) and pitched through the sixth while allowing three runs on six hits. He ended up suffering a tough luck loss, but also set a new career high with 11 strikeouts. Povse also gave up a home run for the second consecutive start and has allowed five home runs this season.

Yu-Cheng Chang homered against Povse to start the fourth for the Hillcats and managed to stretch their lead to 3-1. Lynchburg (50-29, 5-4) originally plated two runs in the first after the lengthy delay on hits from Greg Allen, Tyler Krieger and Chang.

Krieger and Chang had two hits in Saturday’s game and were both 2-for-3 for the Hillcats. Chang’s home run was his 10th of the season. He also had two RBI and has now driven in 50 runs for Lynchburg this year.

Murphy drove in the only run of the game for the Mudcats after starting the second with a solo home run against Lynchburg’s Justus Sheffield. Murphy was 1-for-2 with a homer in the loss and has hit five home runs this season for Carolina.

Sheffield (6-4, 3.81) allowed just one run and five hits over six innings and earned the win for Lynchburg. He gave up two hits to rehabbing major leaguer Gordon Beckham and doubles to Omar Obregon and Isaias Tejeda as well in the victory. Sheffield also struck out 10 and walked three while earning his sixth win of the season.

Phil Pfeifer followed Povse and pitched the seventh before the game was called. Pfeifer faced only three and induced a double play in his Atlanta Braves organizational debut.

This story was originally published July 2, 2016 at 11:30 PM with the headline "Povse sets career high with 11 Ks in 3-1 weather shortened loss."