Jacksonville, FL --- Cameron Maybin and Lee Mitchell each had four hits to send Carolina roaring past Jacksonville 11-1 in the series opener at the Baseball Grounds before 6,197 fans on Monday afternoon.

Maybin connected for a two-run homer before noon arrived, while Mitchell drove in five runs. Meanwhile, Ryan Tucker (W, 2-1), who started a shutout over the Suns on April 15th, threw seven more scoreless innings on just 89 pitches to lower his ERA from 1.08 to 0.89, which ranks 3rd in the Southern League.

John Raynor homered in the third against Suns starter Mario Alvarez (L, 0-4), who lasted just four innings permitting seven hits and four runs.

After hitting a double play grounder to his brother Russell at third base in the first inning, Mitchell carved out four successive hits, each driving in runs. Mitchell singled home Maybin in the third, a bloop single in the fifth scored Lorenzo Scott, a deep double to centerfield in the seventh plated Maybin again, then a two-run single to center in the eighth against reliever Zach Hammes.

Maybin, who collected his first four-hit game at Double-A, chopped a double past Mitchell in the third, then singled in the fifth and seventh. Maybin scored four of Carolina's season-tying 11 runs, while Scott went 2-4, scoring three times. Maybin's average rose from .224 to .262, while Mitchell's ascended from .200 to .246. The Mudcats had 15 hits, matching a season high.

Jacob Marceaux worked a perfect eighth inning, while Carlos Martinez permitted an unearned run in the ninth to prevent the Mudcats' fourth shutout victory of the season.

Carolina (18-13), which had lost eight of 10, defeated the Suns (14-17) for the fifth time in six meetings, and crept to within 2 1/2 of first place co-leaders West Tenn and Huntsville ahead of their home games tonight.

The Mudcats continue their five-game series Tuesday night at 7:05 PM ET with Chris Volstad (3-0, 2.61) starting opposite James McDonald (1-1, 5.27).