** Mobile 2, Carolina 1 **

Mobile, AL --- Jared Wells pitched five shutout innings with eight strikeouts as the Mobile BayBears defeated the Carolina Mudcats 2-1 at Hank Aaron Stadium on Friday night.  

For the second straight game, the Mudcats (0-2) built a major threat in the ninth inning putting a scare into Dale Thayer (S, 2), who was the save king of the Southern League in 2005.  Thayer, who entered with the tying run coming to the plate, recorded two outs as Alejandro DeAza advanced first to third on a pair of groundouts, surrendered an RBI-single to Angel Molina to score DeAza to draw the Mudcats to within one run.  Ryan Bear drew a walk, putting the go-ahead run aboard before BJ Garbe grounded back to Thayer to end the game.  

Mobile assumed a 1-0 lead against starting pitcher Adam Bostick (L, 0-1) in the first inning on a run-scoring triple by Steve Baker, then moved out 2-0 with a run in the fourth on a double by Kennard Jones.  

Wells, the California League pitcher of the year in 2005, was in command from the outset of the game, walking just one batter and surrendering two hits.  Four other Mobile pitchers combined to dispose Carolina to an 0-2 start to the regular season.  

Bostick permitted three hits and two runs, walking four and whiffing five before leaving the game with a blister on his pitching hand in the fourth inning.  

DeAza paced the Carolina offense with his first two hits of the season, along with a pair of stolen bases.  

James Russ starts Saturday night for the Mudcats against Jose Oyervidez at 8:05 PM ET.

CAROLINA           0 0 0   0 0 0   0 0 1   ---   1   5   0   5

MOBILE                1 0 0   1 0 0    0 0 x   ---   2   6   1   8  

WP - Wells (1-0)

LP -  Bostick (0-1)

S - Thayer (2)  

HR - None.  

Att:  4,197

Time:  2:48