A four-run second inning doomed the Salem Red Sox on Friday night as they fell to the Carolina Mudcats, 6-4, at Five County Stadium. Trey Ball took the loss in his first outing of the 2015 season, lasting 5.1 innings while allowing six runs (five earned) on 10 hits.
After being no-hit on Opening Day, the Mudcats got the monkey off their collective backs with six hits in the first two innings, including a pair of two-out, two-run home runs from Carlos Franco and Sean Godfrey in the last of the second. The four-run frame gave the Mudcats a lead that they would never relinquish.
Offensively, Aneury Tavarez, who went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and a walk, led the Red Sox. Sam Travis provided Salem’s first hit with a two-run home run in the top of the fourth inning.
Salem crawled to within two runs of the lead twice, cutting down the lead on the Travis homer in the fourth before surrendering a pair in the sixth to fall behind by four once again at 6-2. The Sox mounted a rally in the seventh featuring back-to-back two-out RBI doubles form Jordan Betts and Jordan Weems, That would be as close as Salem would get..
Ball (0-1) struck out three batters and walked just one, settling in nicely after the four-run second. He was lifted in the sixth after an RBI double from Jose Briceno. He was relieved by Taylor Grover, who allowed the inherited runner to score but was otherwise dazzling, giving up just one hit and striking out two in 2.2 innings pitched.
Lucas Sims (1-0) earned the victory for Carolina, hurling six innings and striking out four with only two hits and two runs against him. Tyler Jones shut the door for his first save of the season, striking out the side around a pair of Red Sox singles in the ninth.
First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Saturday night in the third game of the four-game series. Teddy Stankiewicz is scheduled to start for the Red Sox, opposing Andrew Thurman. Fans can tune in to the game on 1240 WGMN AM in Roanoke, on SalemSox.com or via the TuneIn App.
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