Jackson, TN - Micah Hoffpauir homered and drove in a season-high five runs as West Tenn crushed Carolina 15-6 on Thursday night before 2,807 at Pringles Park.

Hoffpauir connected for a two-run homer against Nic Ungs (L, 3-2, 4.2ip, 7h, 8r, 7er, 2w, 5k) in the fourth, then doubled home three runs in a seven-run eighth inning as West Tenn (27-19) won the first head-to-head meeting between the clubs in 2004.

Carolina (25-22) established a 1-0 lead in the first against Sean Marshall (W, 1-1) on a run-scoring double by Chip Ambres (1-5, 2b, rbi, 2k). In the third, Josh Willingham (2-5, r, 2b, rbi, k, gdp) and Pat Magness (2-4, r, rbi, w) hit consecutive RBI-singles for a 3-0 lead.

Ungs, who retired nine of the first 10 batters he faced, allowed five in the fourth and three more in the fifth. The Diamond Jaxx sent nine to the plate in the fourth, courtesy of three hits, two walks and two Mudcats errors. In the fifth, Richard Lewis and Geovany Soto homered to account for the three runs.

The Mudcats scored twice in the sixth, and a gain in the seventh on a single by Michael Tucker (1-3, r, rbi, w, k).

Reliver Todd Moser permitted seven runs in the eighth inning as West Tenn hiked its lead from 8-6 to 15-6. The Diamond Jaxx sent 13 batters to the plate.

Carolina remains one game behind first-place Chattanooga in the East with 23 games remaining in the first half.

Bill Murphy (5-1, 2.86) starts the series' second game Friday night at Pringles Park at 7:35 PM ET against Bobby Brownlie (5-3, 2.82).

Carolina 1 0 2 0 0 2 1 0 0 --- 6 10 2 9
West Tenn 0 0 0 5 3 0 0 7 * --- 15 15 3 6

WP - Marshall (1-1)
LP - Ungs (3-2)
S - None.

HR - Hoffpauir (7), Lewis (6), Soto (5)

Time: 3:21
Att: 2,807

Notes: The loss suffered by Ungs was his first in seven starts dating back to April 20th... Marshall's win was his first of his Double-A career. Marshall began the season in low-A Lansing of the Midwest League, where he was 2-0 with a 1.11 ERA.... During Wednesday's off-day, Billy Hall was promoted to Triple-A Albuquerque, RHP Mike McNutt returned to Carolina from Albuquerque and RHP Jerrod Fuell placed on the disabled list with a blood clot in his pitching arm... The seven-run eighth inning against Carolina was the largest of the season against the Mudcats.