Franco and Meneses Power Mudcats to 7-4 Win in Frederick
September 3, 2015 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Carolina Mudcats News Release
FREDERICK, MD - Carlos Franco hit a solo home run in the fifth and was 3-for-4 with two doubles, Joey Meneses doubled twice and drove in a run and Andrew Waszak allowed just one earned run over six innings pitched as the Mudcats defeated the Keys 7-4 in Frederick on Thursday night.
The victory was Carolina's second in the series and brought their season record to 13-3 against the Keys (63-73, 31-35) this season. It also lifted them to a two games to one series victory at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium.
The Mudcats (69-66, 35-31) started Thursday's game with a leadoff walk by Connor Lien and later added RBI doubles from Keith Curcio, Franco and Meneses against Keys' starter Josh Walker (L, 0-2, 6.55). Carolina collected four hits and four runs in the first and led 4-0 after one.
Andrew Waszak (W, 7-6, 3.30) started for Carolina and kept the Keys scoreless over the first two before seeing three unearned runs score in the third. The Mudcats were charged with two errors in the third and Waszak allowed two hits in the frame. The second hit was a two-run double collected by Yaisel Mederos and followed a RBI double by Dariel Alvarez.
Waszak worked through the sixth and finished with two walks and four strikeouts. He gave up three unearned runs in the third and one earned run in the sixth. The victory was his third in his last four starts with the Mudcats.
Lien answered Frederick's three run third with a solo home run in the fourth. It was ninth of the season and his second in the series. Franco then hit an opposite field solo home run to left in the fifth and the Mudcats went up 7-3 in the game.
The Mudcats scored all seven runs and collected 10 of their 11 hits against Walker. Reliever Dylan Rheault took over out of the pen for the Keys in the sixth and managed to keep the Mudcats to just one hit over three scoreless innings pitched. Rheault left after the eighth and Garrett Cortright pitched a scoreless ninth.
The Mudcats followed Waszak with Richie Tate and Bradley Roney. Tate worked a scoreless seventh and eighth and held the Keys without a hit while striking out two. Roney (S, 6) pithed the ninth, struck out one and earned his second save of the series.
The Mudcats improved to 2-1 in their final road trip of the season with Thursday's series finale win in Frederick. The trip will continue with game one of four in Lynchburg on Friday night with the first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
All games air on the Mudcats Radio Network, The Big Dawg 98.5 FM, Rock City 99.3 FM and Sports 1490 AM. Games are also streamed online at www.carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio and the TuneIn Radio app. TuneIn Radio is the official digital audio partner of MiLB.com.
The Carolina Mudcats are the Class-A Advanced affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. The 2015 "Braves New World" season is the first for the Mudcats as an affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and their fourth straight in the historic Carolina League. First established in 1991, the Carolina Mudcats are entering their 25th straight season of baseball at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, N.C. Fans can purchase tickets or find more information by calling (919) 269-2287 or by visiting www.carolinamudcats.com.
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