Friday July 8, 2005

Zebulon, NC --- With the worries of Hurricane Dennis weighing on his mind, JC Muniz had three hits including a game-winning home run leading off the bottom of the 11th as Carolina defeated West Tenn 3-2 at Five County Stadium on Friday night.

Muniz (HR, 5), who wasn't even in the original starting lineup, singled twice and then hit the second pitch from John Searles (L, 2-2) over the left field wall giving the Mudcats (9-6, 50-33) their fourth consecutive final at-bat win over the Diamond Jaxx (8-8, 52-33).  Jeremy Hermida was scheduled to start in right field, but was a pre-game scratch with a tight hamstring.

Muniz, a 29-year-old rookie, hails from Cuba.  Ten relatives remain on the island nation, and prior to the game Friday and Thursday, failed in numerous attempts to reach his family by telephone as Cuba was battered by - a very powerful category four - Hurricane Dennis.  Muniz indicated all phone lines had been down since Thursday.

West Tenn, playing without outfielders Matt Murton and Adam Greenberg, who were both promoted to the Chicago Cubs Thursday night, took a 2-0 lead in the sixth inning on a home run by Matt Creighton in his first game this season with West Tenn.  The Mudcats tied the game with runs in the sixth and seventh.  Robert Andino and Jason Hill doubled in the sixth, then James Shanks drilled a single to center to score Rex Rundgren to tie the game. 

In the bottom of the 10th, Andino attempted to win the game, tagging up from third on a shallow popfly to right-center by Reggie Abercrombie, but right fielder Brandon Sing put a one-hop throw to catcher Casey Kopitzke, who absorbed a vicious hit from Andino, but held on to the baseball after the tag.

The game was dominated by the two starting pitchers.  Jason Vargas fanned 11 for the second straight start, this time in seven innings after going just five innings in his previous outing in Jacksonville.  Jae Kuk-Ryu whiffed nine over his seven frames.

Kevin Cave (W, 4-1) earned the win with two scoreless innings following Ross Wolf's two inning stint.

Carolina maintained a one-game lead in the North over Huntsville, and dropped the first-half champion Diamond Jaxx into third place 1 1/2 behind.

Josh Johnson (7-4, 4.46) starts Saturday night against Sean Marshall (0-1, 3.18) at 7:15 PM ET.

WEST TENN            0 0 0   0 0 2   0 0 0   0 0   ---   2   9   0   9

CAROLINA              0 0 0   0 0 1   1 0 0   0 1   ---   3    9   0   9

WP - Cave (4-1)

LP - Searles (2-2)

S - None.

HR - Creighton (1), Muniz (5)

Time:  3:11

Att:  4,987

Notes:  RF Jeremy Hermida was pulled before the game from the starting lineup with tightness in his hamstring.  Hermida will depart Saturday for the Futures Game in Detroit, Michigan.  He will miss two Mudcats games, returning for the Monday night game against West Tenn...  West Tenn manager Bobby Dickerson was ejected from the game in the top of the first inning by third base umpire Pete Pederson.  Dickerson was arguing the third out of the inning which saw 2B Ryan Theriot cut down trying to advance first to third on a passed ball by Dennis Anderson...  The 11 strikeouts by Vargas matched his career high, now matched four times...  Carolina has either been in first or second place in the Northern Division in all but one day of the 2005 regular season.