Garcia fans 11 for Mudcats

Published in Sports on June 27, 2006 2:25 PM

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ZEBULON -- Jose Garcia fanned 11 Jacksonville hitters in six innings as Carolina defeated the first-half champs from the Southern Division 3-2 at Five County Stadium on Monday night.

Garcia (2-1), making just his fourth Double-A start, allowed just a fifth inning run while leading 2-0 to send the Mudcats (4-4) to their second straight win.

Garcia's only trouble occurred in the first inning, however, he fanned Justin Ruggiano with the bases loaded to halt the threat.

Carolina pushed ahead 2-0 in the third against Heath Totten (7-3) with a five-hit frame. Brett Carroll put Garcia in the lead with a single to left to score Kevin Randel, who had reached on a one-out double. After Carroll was tossed out stealing, Jonathan Aceves bounced an infield single up the middle, which was thrown away by Chin Lung Hu. A wild pitch moved Aceves, who then scored on a dribbling infield single by Rex Rundgren.

With the bases loaded in the sixth with none out, Carolina could only build its lead to 3-1 on a double play to score Randel.

Jacksonville (4-4) scored a run in the ninth with two outs against Christopher Young (S, 3) on a single by Hu, but Young retired Tony Abreu as the leading run to give Garcia his second Double-A win.

Totten was beaten for the first time in his career by Carolina, covering nine starts and dating to 2002.

Five Mudcat players combined for Carolina's 10 hits, with Jose Campusano, Randel, Carroll, Aceves and Rundgren each collecting two.

Scott Tyler pitched 12/3 innings of scoreless relief behind Garcia, replaced by Young with two on and two outs in the eighth.

The fourth game of the five-game set is tonight at 7:15 with James Russ (3-6, 4.20) starting against the Suns' Adam Thomas (2-3, 6.64).