Cats' Serrano cruises early, then struggles in 3rd inning

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on August 15, 2007 1:47 PM

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ZEBULON -- A two-out walk to Kala Ka'aihue ignited a six-run uprising as Mississippi edged Carolina 9-7 at Five County Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Mudcats starter Jimmy Serrano worked two-plus innings before walking Ka'aihue in the third. With Ka'iahue aboard, the Braves collected five consecutive hits and sent 10 men to the plate overall.

Mississippi chased Serrano, who exited down 6-3.

Carolina's troubles continued in the fourth when Diory Hernandez connected on a two-RBI double. The extra-base hit boosted the Braves' advantage to 8-3.

The Mudcats (25-26) rallied to within 8-7. Dante Brinkley's two-out home run highlighted a four-run surge in the fourth inning. Chase Lambin added an RBI triple, while Lee Mitchell clubbed his team-leading 20th homer of the season.

The teams continue their series tonight. Game time is 7:15 p.m.