ZEBULON — After a so-so start, the Carolina Mudcats are surging at just the right time. Carolina recently reeled off an eight-game winning streak and stood 32-25 as the final push began for the Southern League’s Northern Division first-half title.

The Mudcats sat a game-and-a-half behind division-leading Huntsville entering this week’s action.

Carolina will host West Tenn for a five-game series beginning Thursday night at Five County Stadium. The Mudcats will wrap up their first half schedule with a five-game trip to Tennessee.

The resurgence of Carolina, which advanced to the Southern League Championship Series last season, has been led by a stellar pitching effort over the last month. Since giving up nine runs in a loss to Birmingham on May 11, the Mudcats haven’t allowed an opponent more than five runs in any game.

In their 19 wins since that loss, Carolina’s pitching staff has held opponents to four or fewer runs 18 times, giving up just 2.52 a contest in its victories.

Travis Wood, who leads the Southern League in earned-run average (1.22), won his fifth straight decision for Carolina on Sunday afternoon in Jacksonville. The lefty has also proven to be the workhorse of the ’Cats’ pitching staff, logging 74 innings and making 12 starts so far this year.

Fellow starters Jordan Smith and James Avery are also well positioned among the Southern League’s best hurlers. Avery stands fourth in the league in ERA at 2.89, while Smith (4-0 with a 2.92 ERA) is sixth in the league.

But it’s not all about the pitching for Carolina. Offensively, the Mudcats have continued to come up with timely hits during the past month.

The outfield is showing the way. Center fielder Chris Heisey leads the Southern League with a .370 batting average, while left fielder Todd Frazier is hitting at a .340 clip. He ranks fifth in the league.

Sean Henry, who regularly mans right field, is hitting .294.

Highly-touted third baseman Juan Francisco is carrying the load in the power department. He’s bopped 11 home runs this season and holds the team lead with 40 RBIs.

Yonder Alonso, the top-rated prospect in the Reds’ organization, posted hits in his first two games with Carolina after a promotion from High-A earlier this month. But he’s cooled a bit of late and was hitting just .214 entering the week.

As a team, the Mudcats are second (behind Huntsville on both accounts) in the league in batting average (.265) and ERA (3.34).