Zebulon, NC - Ryan Meaux and two Birmingham relievers combined on a two-hitter as the Barons spoiled Carolina's home opener at Five County Stadium 4-0 on Friday night.
A crowd of 5,805 welcomed back the defending Southern League Champions for the first time since winning the crown last September, and were treated to a sprinter-paced pitchers duel between Meaux and Carolina starter Bill Murphy (L, 0-1, 6.2IP, 4H, 2ER, 3W, 8K).
After five innings, the game was scoreless, and barely over an hour old. In the seventh, Barons DH Carlos Maldonado homered with two outs for the game's first run. After issuing a walk, Murphy was relieved by Clint Sodowsky (ND, 1.1IP, 3H, 0R, 1W, 2K). Two stolen bases later by Darren Blakely, Josh Shaffer punched a single to left for a 2-0 lead.
Carolina, entering the game with the second-best team batting average in the league, was stifled from start to finish. The Mudcats (5-3) managed just two hits, a first inning double by Josh Wilson (1-2, 2B, 2W) and an overran popfly single credited to Josh Willingham (1-4, 3K) in the fourth. Not a single baserunner reached third base, as the Mudcats were blanked for the first time this season.
Jerrod Fuell (ND, 1IP, 3H, 2ER, 0W, 1K) allowed two insurance runs in the ninth inning as Birmingham dropped the Mudcats to their third loss in four years opening Five County.
With the defeat, Carolina's three-game winning streak was halted; however the Mudcats did not lose any ground to first-place Jacksonville, remaining two games behind the Eastern Division leaders.
The Mudcats host the Barons in the middle game of their three-game series Saturday night with Ronald Belizario (0-1, 6.75) opposing Barons' lefty Arnie Munoz (1-0, 0.00) at 7:15 PM ET.
Notes: Before the game, Carolina RHP Trevor Hutchinson and 3B Joe Dillon were named BC Headache Powder pitcher and hitter of the week in the Southern League. Hutchinson won his first two starts, including throwing the first six innings of Carolina's third-ever no-hitter on Wednesday in Huntsville. Dillon finished the week 13-23, leading the league in average and home runs with four.
