Sunday, April 10, 2005 

W 3 - 0

Zebulon, NC --- The Carolina Mudcats continued their complete mastery of the Huntsville Stars on Sunday afternoon, sweeping the last of a season-opening series 3-0 on Sunday afternoon, extending their best start in better than seven years.

Behind Logan Kensing (W, 1-0) and four relievers, the Mudcats blanked the Stars for the third time in four games.  The 22-year-old Kensing, who made his major league debut in September for the Florida Marlins last September, made his Double-A debut on Sunday afternoon, and wriggled out of early inning trouble before settling in for the win.  Huntsville , which hit .132 (14-106) in the series, stranded two runners in the first and third innings, and squandered a bases loaded, none out shot at Kensing in the second.  Kensing retired the final 10 batters he faced. 

Carolina took a 1-0 lead on Glenn Woolard in the third on an infield single in the shortstop hole by Robert Andino to bring home Dennis Anderson, who had doubled.  In the fourth, Anderson grounded into a force play with no outs and the bases loaded to move the Mudcats ahead 2-0.  Chris Bass homered in the sixth against Stars reliever Josh Habel.

Woolard walked four and surrendered four hits in four innings, with Habel pitching two innings and Mitch Stetter throwing two scoreless in his seasonal debut.

Luke Lockwood threw a perfect seventh for Carolina in his organizational debut.  In the eighth, Jerrod Fuell walked the first two hitters before freezing cleanup hitter Nelson Cruz on a 3-2 fastball.  After recording the second out, Joe Rodriguez retired Brandon Gemoll to end the inning.  Chris Resop (S, 3) notched his league-best third save, pitching the ninth.  Resop was throwing on consecutive days for the first time this season.

In the series, Huntsville batted 0-20 with runners in scoring position, and managed just one run in 32 innings, a solo homer on Saturday night by Cruz. 

Thanks to Southern League realignment, the Mudcats (4-0) will face their new Northern Division rival again at Five County Stadium in May, as well as in their home opener next Friday at Joe Davis Stadium. 

Carolina continues its season opening homestand with the opener of a three-game series against the Birmingham Barons. Yorman Bazardo will make his debut for the Mudcats.

HUNTSVILLE        0 0 0   0 0 0   0 0 0   ---   0   3   2   10

CAROLINA           0 0 1   1 0 1   0 0 x   ---   3   6   0   6

WP - Kensing (1-0)

LP - Woolard (0-1)

S - Resop (3)

HR - Bass (1)

Time:  2:39

Att:  5,902