Zebulon, NC – For the second straight Tuesday, the RiverDogs suffered from a case of the Mondays and fell to the Carolina Mudcats 10-0 in the series opener at Five County Stadium.
The defeat snaps a three-game win streak for 'Dogs, who are now 24-28.
Jayden Voelker opened the contest with back-to-back scoreless innings before Eric Bitonti hit a two-run homer, made possible by a two-out error, to start the scoring in the third.
Carolina tallied three more runs in the fourth and chased Voelker with two outs in the fifth after scoring another run to push the lead to 6-0. The 4.2 inning start snapped a streak of eight straight games in which the RiverDogs’ starter went at least five innings.
The Mudcats put the contest fully out of reach with a four-run rally in the bottom of the seventh.
To preserve the pitching staff, Charleston tabbed utility man Jose Perez to pitch the bottom of the eighth inning. The righty delivered a 1-2-3 frame, including a grin-inducing strikeout.
RiverDogs outfielder Theo Gillen extended his on-base streak to 27 games with a single and a walk. His streak is now the longest streak in the Carolina League this season and is the longest active streak in Single-A.
The RiverDogs have the opportunity to bounce back Wednesday night, with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Charleston returns to The Joe to begin a six-game homestand on Tuesday, June 10. Tickets are available on RiverDogs.com.