Zebulon, NC - Jeff Fulchino worked eight scoreless innings as the Carolina Mudcats blanked the Greenville Braves 3-0 at Five County Stadium on Monday night.

Fulchino (W, 3-3, 8ip, 6h, 0r, 0w, 7k) worked his longest start of the season, allowing six hits - five singles - en route to Carolina's seventh shutout of the year.

The Mudcats (10-13) remained 6 1/2 games behind first-place Chattanooga with the win, and beat the Braves for the eighth consecutive time this season.

Two unearned runs in the third gave Carolina a 2-0 lead. One-out singles by Billy Hall (1-3, r, w, sb) and Matt Demarco (1-2, r, 2w) ahead of an error by second baseman filled the bases. Jason Stokes (0-3, rbi, w) was walked by Izzy Pineda (L, 3-6) to force in Hall. Rob Ryan (0-3, rbi, sf, gdp) lifted a sacrifice fly to center for the second run.

Ryan Minor (HR, 1, 1-4, r, rbi) connected for a solo homer against reliever Macay McBride in the sixth for a 3-0 lead.

Randy Messenger (S, 11, 1ip, 1h, 0r, 0w, 0k) earned his 11th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

Bill Murphy (6-3, 3.61) starts against Jose Capellan (4-1, 2.44) Tuesday night at Five County at 7:15 PM ET.

Greenville 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 --- 0 7 1 5
Carolina 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 x --- 3 8 0 9

WP - Fulchino (3-3)
LP - Pineda (3-6)
S - Messenger (11)

HR - Minor (1)

Time: 2:15
Att: 1,732

Notes: Carolina is 8-1 against the Greenville Braves in 2004. The meeting Monday night was the first since May 9th... Minor's home run was his first in affiliated baseball since April 25, 2002 with Tacoma against the now-extinct Calgary Cannons. Minor was leading the independent Atlantic League with 16 homers before his contract was purchased by Florida... Tuesday's starters Bill Murphy and Jose Capellan each appeared in the Futures Game in Houston, Texas on July 11th. Murphy worked one inning for the U.S. team before over 41,000 fans while Capellan pitched a scoreless inning for the World Team... Matt Demarco extended his hitting streak to nine games.

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