SL1 Carolina Mudcats

Cozart Lifts Mudcats

Published on May 25, 2009 under Southern League (SL1)
Carolina Mudcats News Release


Chattanooga, TN --- Zack Cozart hit a tie-breaking home run in the eighth inning to lift Carolina to a five-game sweep at Chattanooga, claiming the finale 4-3 at AT&T Field before 2,804 fans on Monday afternoon.

With the victory and sweep, Carolina moved from last place to third, and from 3 1/2 behind first-place Tennessee to 2 games in back of the new Northern leading Huntsville.

Carolina (21-23), which was won eight of its last 10 games, continued as the hottest team in the Southern League thanks to a pair of home runs by Juan Francisco. Francisco clobbered a solo home run out of the stadium in the fourth inning, a homer to right field that no one saw land. Then in the sixth with the Mudcats trailing 2-1, Francisco connected again, this time down the right field line, but so high that only first base umpire Tripp Gibson could determine if it was fair or foul. With three Lookouts players on the field pointing foul, Gibson ruled the drive fair as Francisco circled the bases for the second time in the game, giving the Mudcats a 3-2 lead.

A 33-minute rain delay halted action after six innings, but when the game resumed, the Lookouts (18-26) quickly tied the game against reliever Ruben Medina (W, 1-2). Eduardo Perez tripled off of the right-centerfield wall, then scored on a Russell Mitchell single to center. However Cozart, who had not homered since April 24th, took out reliever Tim Corcoran (L, 1-4) on a 0-1 pitch in the eighth inning to give Carolina the lead.

Derrik Lutz (S, 2) worked the ninth inning for his second save of the season, stranding runners at first and third as James Tomlin hit a hard grounder to Francisco to end the game.

James Avery worked six innings of two-run ball, yet netted a no decision for Carolina. Avery made 51 starts as a Lookout pitcher in the past two seasons. Corcoran, meanwhile, earned his second loss of the series after starting Thursday night's 7-4 defeat.

The last five-game sweep by Carolina occurred July 27-31, 2008 when the Mudcats, then a Florida Marlins affiliate took five straight from the Jacksonville Suns - a Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate - at Five County Stadium. This year's Lookouts are the new Dodgers' affiliate.

Carolina returns home Tuesday night to open its final 10-game homestand of the season, entertaining Montgomery for five, then the Tennessee Smokies. The homestand runs through June 4th. Alexander Smit (1-0, 2.80 starts the opener for the Mudcats against Ryan Morse (2-4, 5.18) at 7:15 PM ET.

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Southern League Stories from May 25, 2009


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