ZEBULON, N.C. – Logan Henderson totaled a career-high 10 strikeouts, Jesus Chirinos hit a grand slam in the third, Reidy Mercado drove in two with two doubles and Kay-Lan Nicasia went 3-for-3 with three runs as the Carolina Mudcats trounced the Down East Wood Ducks 13-1 on Saturday night at Five County Stadium.

Henderson (W, 4-3) became the first Carolina (35-24, 68-54) starter to reach double-digits in strikeouts this season as fanned 10 over six quality innings pitched. He originally pitched through five scoreless before giving up a run on three two-out hits in the sixth. Jeferson Figueroa (S, 1) followed and retired nine straight to finish the game while earning his first save of the season.

The Mudcats originally led 1-0 after the second before going up 5-0 on Chirinos’ grand slam in the third. They then added two more in the fourth with RBI doubles from Mercado and Gregory Barrios while taking a 7-0 lead.

The Wood Ducks (27-32, 64-56) scored their only run of the game with two outs in the sixth, but Carolina answered with another RBI double from Mercado in the same inning while staying up by seven at 8-1. Carolina then broke the game open with a five-run eighth that included a bases-loaded ground rule double from Juan Baez and a two-run single from Blayberg Diaz.

Baez’s ground rule came on a comebacker to the mound that hit reliever Adrian Rodriguez before sailing into the visiting dugout. Diaz also singled in the second while extending his hitting streak to a career-high 13 straight games.

The victory lifted Carolina to a 3-2 lead in their final homestand and six-game series against the Wood Ducks. The victory also kept the first-place Mudcats atop of the Carolina League North Division second-half standings by 3.0 games over Lynchburg and 3.5 games over Fredericksburg.