Zebulon — The Mudcats finished a three-game sweep of the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx as they won 4-2 to reach the Southern League Championship series for the first time since 2003.

Carolina atoned for a three-game sweep by the Diamond Jaxx in 2005, when Carolina last reached the post-season.

The Mudcats gave up two runs in the top of the first inning. Marshall Hubbard and Greg Halman were plated when Carolina starting pitcher Brett Sinkbeil made a throwing error with one out. Sinkbeil saw the bases loaded with one out, then fielded a come-backer by Adam Moore, but threw wildly to home as West Tennessee took its first lead of the post-season series.

The lead held for an inning and a half until Carolina came to bat in the second. After Scott Cousins scored the first run of the second inning for the Mudcats on a single by Chris DeLaCrus, Brad Davis belted a three-run home run off of the left field score board to give the Mudcats a 4-2 lead.

The Diamond Jaxx threatened in both the eighth and ninth innings as they left four runners stranded on base, but they were unable to cut into the Carolina lead. With two outs in the eighth, the Diamond Jaxx picked up a pair of singles against reliever Ryan Tucker, but with Jeff Dominguez at bat, a Tucker pitch rolled behind Davis, but the Mudcats' catcher threw out Monzon trying to advance to second. In the ninth, home run champion Mike Wilson represented the leading run against Carolina's record-setting closer Chris Mobley, but Wilson saw his knees buckle at a 1-2 slider to end the game to clinch the Northern Division pennant.

Brett Sinkbeil (W,1-0) pitched five innings for Carolina, giving up two runs off of four hits. Jeff Gogal and Ryan Tucker combined to pitch three scoreless innings before Mobley (S,1) closed things out in the ninth inning. Carolina's bullpen pitched 12 scoreless innings in the three-game sweep.

Luis Munoz (L,0-1) pitched six innings for the Diamond Jaxx, allowing four runs on eight hits to suffer the loss. West Tennessee stranded 11 baserunners in the loss.

Carolina will face Mississippi tonight, Monday, at 7:15, as the Southern League Championship series is scheduled to begin at Five County Stadium — where games one and two will be played. Game two will take place Tuesday at 7:15 p.m., Wednesday is a travel day, and game three will resume in Mississippi at 7:05 p.m., Thursday.