WRAL Sports Fan

WRALSportsFan

Mudcats get all the Rick Asadoorian they could handle in the loss to Jacksonville

May 22, 2008

Rick Asadoorian threw five scoreless innings, homered and drove in two as the Jacksonville Suns blanked the Carolina Mudcats 6-0 at Five County Stadium on Thursday night.

Asadoorian (W, 4-2) entered the game in long relief behind starter Clayton Kershaw, who pitched one inning before being taken out. Asadoorian, the converted outfielder, allowed just one hit over his tenure, walking one and fanning four. He also homered in the sixth inning against reliever Marc Lamacchia.

In the first inning, Mudcats starter Chris Volstad (L, 3-2) was hit just above the right hip by a liner from Greg Jacobs, which seemed to disrupt his early-game rhythm. Volstad pitched five innings, allowing nine hits and four runs, falling to 0-2 against the Suns (22-25) this season.

Carolina (27-20) managed just two hits in the game, both doubles. Lee Mitchell doubled against the centerfield wall in the fifth for the team's first hit, while Brett Hayes gapped a double in the eighth against reliever Brent Leach.

The Mudcats fell 3 1/2 games behind first-pace Huntsville with the loss, pending the Stars' game with Birmingham on Thursday night.

Daniel Barone (0-0, 0.00) starts the middle game of the series on Friday night against James McDonald (2-1, 4.26) at 7:15 PM ET.