Zebulon, NC --- Not even a wearying overnight ride back home could stop the Carolina Mudcats on Friday night.  Logan Kensing pitched six scoreless innings, while Jason Hill had two hits, driving in a run, and made three key defensive plays as Carolina beat the Tennessee Smokies 2-1 before 5,489 fans.

 

Kensing (W, 2-1) permitted six hits and fanned six en route to his second win of the season, each at home.  Hill, who went 2-3, put the Mudcats (11-3) ahead in the first inning with a single to score Eric Reed.  In the top of the first, a Hill snag of a hot grounder by Noochie Varner saved a run-scoring double, then Hill denied two late-inning singles with his glove as Carolina won its fifth straight game. 

 

Leading 2-0 in the seventh, Ross Wolf yielded a run on a two out single by Marland Williams, but Hill played a smash toward right field into the inning's final out as Williams was streaking home to tie the game. 

 

Jerrod Fuell protected the 2-1 lead in the eighth, stranding Williams at second base after a single and two-out balk moved Williams into scoring position.

 

Mike Flannery (S, 1) notched the save with a perfect ninth inning.

 

Drew Niles continued his torrid hitting, going 2-3 with an RBI single in the third inning.  Robert Andino attempted to score on the hit, following home Eric Reed, but Andino was thrown out at home by Varner. 

 

Reed was 2-4, scoring both Carolina runs, and extended his hitting streak to 18 games with a perfect bunt single in the first inning.

 

The Smokies fell to 0-8 on the road, and 7 1/2 games behind the first place Mudcats.

 

The three-game series continues Saturday night with Yorman Bazardo (2-0, 3.27) starting against Sergio Lizarraga (0-0, 10.80) at 7:15 PM ET.

 

TENNESSEE        0 0 0   0 0 0   1 0 0   ---   1   6   0   8

CAROLINA           1 0 1   0 0 0   0 0 x   ---   2   8   1   5

 

WP - Kensing (2-1)

LP - Bass (0-2)

S - Flannery (1)

 

HR - None.

 

Att:  5,489

Time:  2:19