Monte Harrison was 2-for-4 with a grand slam and two stolen bases on Monday night
Salem, VA – Monte Harrison hit a grand slam in the first, Lucas Erceg scored two runs, Corey Ray had two doubles and Marcos Diplan won his second straight game while leading the Mudcats to an 8-5 series tying victory in Salem on Monday night.
Diplan (6-5, 5.19) allowed just one run while scattering seven hits over a season high six and 2/3 for the Mudcats (48-45, 12-13) in the series evening victory. He also matched a season high with seven strikeouts while also walking only one batter. Shaun Anderson took the loss for the Red Sox (55-39, 15-10) after allowing six runs (two earned) on five hits over five and 2/3 innings.
Harrison was 2-for-4 in the game with a run, two stolen bases and a two-out grand slam. His grand slam capped what was a five run first inning and was the third grand slam of the season for the Mudcats.
Ray started Carolina’s five run first with a two-out double and scored moments later on a RBI single from Jake Gatewood. Isan Diaz then walked and Lucas Erceg reached on a fielder’s choice before Harrison launched his grand slam to left in the first.
Carolina scored a total of five runs in the first against Anderson, but did not score again until getting a run across on a sacrifice fly from Max McDowell in the sixth. Anderson walked one and struck out seven in the loss for the Red Sox.
Salem’s first run came in the sixth when Austin Rei brought in Chris Madera from third with a single to left. Madera’s run cut the Carolina lead down to 6-1, but the Mudcats went on to add on one more run in the seventh when Ray doubled in Trent Clark from first.
Diplan worked through the sixth before leaving the game with two men on in seventh. Reliever Parker Berberet followed and managed to finish the frame with two men left on base. Diplan finished the game with 99 pitches, with 57 going for strikes.
Berberet later returned for the eighth and pitched part of ninth while allowing four runs on four hits over two innings in his Carolina debut. Nate Griep later followed and finished the game by getting Josh Ockimey to fly out to deep center.
Tate Matheny drove in the first of the two Salem runs in the eighth with a sacrifice fly and was 1-for-3 in the game for the Red Sox. Jordan Betts brought in the second Salem run in the eighth with a RBI double and was 1-for-4. The final two Salem runs came in the eighth and were brought in on a run scoring triple from Madera and a ground out by Jeremy Rivera.
Daniel McGrath and Austin Glorius pitched the final three and 1/3 innings for the Red Sox and combined to allow two runs on two hits. McGrath gave up Ray’s RBI double in the seventh and Glorius allowed Clark to double and score on a sacrifice fly from Troy Stokes Jr. in the ninth.
