|
 |
May 12, 2004
Chattanooga, TN - Billy Hall had five hits, including a ninth inning grand slam to lead Carolina to its seventh straight victory, 15-0 over Chattanooga at Bell South Park on Wednesday afternoon.
Hall (HR, 1, 5-6, 5R, 3B, 4RBI, SB) hit the Mudcats third grand slam of the season to cap an eight-run ninth inning, sending Carolina to its most decisive shutout win in franchise history. Hall also tied a club record set by Matt Holliday on July 21, 2002 at Tennessee scoring five runs in a game. Hall started the 11-batter ninth inning with a single, and was allowed to bat again later in the inning when relief pitcher Todd Moser (ND, 2IP, 2H, 0R, 1W, 1K) singled to fill the bases.
Carolina (20-13) moved to within 1/2 game of the East-leading Jacksonville Suns, who play in Greenville tonight.
Bill Murphy (W, 3-1, 6IP, 4H, 0R, 4W, 8K) remained unbeaten in his last five starts, working six scoreless innings, striking out eight. Murphy stranded eight baserunners over his six frames, including fanning starting pitcher Charlie Manning (L, 2-3) with the basees loaded in the fourth.
Carolina established a 3-0 lead in the third inning against Manning on a sacrifice fly by Chip Ambres (2-2, R, 2RBI, SF, 2W, SB) to score Hall who reached on his first hit. Jason Stokes (1-4, R, 2B, RBI, 2K) followed with an RBI-double, then scored on the first of Joe Dillon's (3-5, R, 2-2B, 3RBI) two doubles.
Two more runs crossed in the fifth as Manning was knocked out of the game. Hall started the inning with a bunt single, then scored from first on a double by Josh Wilson (3-5, 4R, 2B, RBI, W, K, SB) coupled by an error by left fielder Andy Beattie. Ambres singled to score Wilson for a 5-0 lead.
In the seventh, the Mudcats staggered the Lookouts with two more runs. Hall tripled to right-center, then scored on Wilson's third hit. Wilson would score one of his four runs on a double by Dillon.
Jerrod Fuell (ND, 1IP, 1H, 0R, 0W, 0K) pitched a scoreless seventh inning before letting Moser finish the game.
Carolina's largest-ever margin of victory was 16 runs in a 20-4 win at Greenville April 23, 2003, a game started by Dontrelle Willis.
The Mudcats pitching staff has blanked the Lookouts for the last 22 1/3 innings, including back to back shutouts in this series.
The Mudcats aim for the four-game sweep of Chattanooga (17-16) on Thursday night with Ronald Belizario (1-3, 5.86) starting against Seth Etherton (4-1, 1.29) at 7:15 PM ET.
Carolina 0 0 3 0 2 0 2 0 8 --- 15 16 0 5
Chattanooga 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---- 0 7 3 13
WP - Murphy (3-1)
LP - Manning (2-3)
S - None.
Notes: Carolina won its 10th straight game against the Eastern Division, with another 13 cosnsecutive to play before the end of May... Hall's five-hit game was his first in two seasons with Carolina, and has 13 hits in his last 22 at-bats... The five-hit game by Hall was his first of his career, but one short of his career high of six in 1994 when Hall hit for the cycle while playing for Triple-A Las Vegas in the San Diego Padres system... Hall's grand slam was Carolina's third of the season. The club record is four, accomplished three times: 2002, 2000 and 1993... Hall's grand slam was his 42nd career homer, and the first grand slam of his career... Hall's five hits represented just the ninth time in Mudcats history a player has had five hits in a game. George Canale has the club and Southern League record with 6, August 12th, 1995... Hall will enter Thursday's finale with five consecutive hits, two shy of Mark Johnson (1995) and Pat Watkins (1999), who share the franchise record with 7... Carolina's seven game winning streak is three shy of the team record of 10, achieved twice in 1993 and 1994... The Lookouts are hitting .209 in the seven games against Carolina, but .305 against the rest of the league. Carolina has won five of seven games against the Lookouts... Carolina is 10-1 in its last 11 games at Bell South Park dating to May 27, 2002... Carolina's eight run inning tied for second most runs scored in a single inning. The Mudcats have scored eight runs three times, with 10 scored in Jacksonville on May 27, 1994 as the all-time high.
|
|
