Carolina downs Mobile (Ala.) in Southern League play

Published in Sports on May 3, 2006 2:12 PM

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ZEBULON -- Carolina scored a season-high seven runs in the sixth inning to down the Mobile BayBears 8-4 in the series opener at Five County Stadium on Tuesday night.

B.J. Garbe homered in the fifth to tie the game 1-1, then dropped a single to left in the sixth to break a 4-4 tie.

Carolina (10-16) trailed 4-1 entering the bottom of the sixth, but BayBears starter Sean Thompson missed the strike zone with his first nine pitches and was removed from the game.

The Mudcats then drilled reliever Roger Deago (3-1) for four consecutive hits, including a two-run, bases loaded double by Jonathan Aceves.

Mobile (9-16) had moved ahead of Carolina in the top of the sixth on a wild pitch and a two-run double by Luis Cruz.

Adam Bostick worked five innings, allowing one run until the sixth, when he walked the first two hitters.

Matt Yourkin (1-1) relieved, walking a hitter, fanning two, then uncorking the wild pitch and surrendering Cruz's double.

Carolina had 12 hits in the game, including two by Ryan Bear, Aceves and Garbe. All eight offensive starters had at least one hit for the Mudcats.

Anibal Sanchez (2-2, 2.20) starts the second game of the five-game set on Wednesday night against Cesar Carillo (1-1, 2.57) at 7:15 p.m.

INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE

Durham 4, Syracuse 1

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Brian Stokes threw seven shutout innings Tuesday as the Durham Bulls beat the Syracuse SkyChiefs 4-1 in the International League.

Stokes (1-0), a non-drafted free agent and the Bulls' most consistent starter, earned his first Triple-A win while allowing three hits and one walk. He had four strikeouts.

Darnell McDonald singled home Johnny Rayburn in the first inning for Durham (15-11). Ryan Knox added an RBI double in the second. Syracuse starter Francisco Rosario (0-2) surrendered four consecutive one-out singles as Kevin Witt and Shawn Riggans scored B.J. Upton and McDonald respectively in the sixth.

Syracuse (11-14) scored in the eighth off of Durham reliever Chad Harville. Jason Phillips doubled and scored as the Bulls turned a double play.

Charlotte 4, Buffalo 0

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Sean Tracey and two relievers combined on a three-hitter Tuesday as the Charlotte Knights defeated the Buffalo Bisons 4-0 in the International League.

Tracey (3-0) allowed one hit in seven innings, a first-inning single to Lou Merloni, and struck out six. Jeff Farnsworth pitched a perfect eighth and Javier Lopez allowed two hits in the ninth for Charlotte (20-6), which won its eighth in a row. Tracey started the season in the bullpen but has since made three starts. In those games, he has allowed two hits and two runs in 162/3 innings.

The Knights took a 3-0 lead on a Chris Stewart solo home run in the second inning and a two-run shot by Jorge Velandia in the fifth. Charlotte added a run in the seventh when Jerry Owens scored from third while Ryan Sweeney got caught in a rundown trying to steal second. Rob Bell (2-2) struck out eight in five innings for Buffalo (13-13), which lost its fourth straight.