ZEBULON, N.C. - Dallas Carroll drove in Weston Wilson with a sacrifice fly in the tenth inning as the Mudcats walked off the Potomac Nationals 5-4 on Friday night at Five County Stadium. The walk-off win was Carolina's eleventh of the season and came in front of a crowd of
ZEBULON, N.C. - Dallas Carroll drove in Weston Wilson with a sacrifice fly in the tenth inning as the Mudcats walked off the Potomac Nationals 5-4 on Friday night at Five County Stadium. The walk-off win was Carolina's eleventh of the season and came in front of a crowd of 4,202 in Zebulon.
Wilson scored the game winning run in the tenth and was 2-for-5 overall with two runs and two RBI. He also had a two-run double in the first that ignited what ended up being a four run opening frame for Carolina (59-63, 25-27).
Cooper Hummel followed Wilson's first inning double with a RBI double of his own and Ryan Aguilar later came through with a two-out run-scoring hit to score Hummel and to give Carolina a 4-0 lead early in the game. Hummel went 2-for-3 with a run and RBI for the Mudcats in Friday's series opener. Aguilar went 2-for-4 with a RBI and both Nick Roscetti and Mario Feliciano also had two hits in the game for Carolina.
Christian Taugner started for Carolina and originally pitched through a scoreless opening frame before then allowing a two-run home run to Aldrem Corredor in the second. The home run cut Carolina's lead down to 4-2, but Taugner then went on to work through three scoreless frames before allowing two runs in the sixth.
Bryan Mejia started the two-run Potomac (63-56, 26-26) sixth with a bunt hit to third. Luis Garica then followed with a single to left and then Taugner walked Ian Sagdal on four straight pitches to load the bases. Taugner went on to induce three straight 6-3 groundouts, but two runs managed to score as the Nationals tied it up at 4-4.
Overall, Taugner struck out five, walked two and allowed four runs on five hits in his first home start with the Mudcats this season. He was followed by Alec Kenilvort who was eventually brought in for the seventh where he retired the side in order before finding trouble in the eighth. Kenilvort got his first batter faced in the eighth, but then walked one, allowed a hit and walked another while loading the bases for Tres Barrera.
Carolina then turned the game over to Daniel Brown with the bags full and with one out in the eighth. Brown (6-3, 3.77) went on to induce a force out at the plate and a pop out to shallow left-center while escaping the jam and leaving all three inherited runners on base. He then returned for the ninth and retired the side in order before escaping trouble and pitching through a scoreless tenth. Brown struck out Berrera with two on in the tenth and totaled two strikeouts over two and 2/3 scoreless frames in the home win.
Potomac also used just three pitchers in the game as they got four innings out of starter Nick Raquet, three from Carlos Acevedo and then two and 1/3 from Fuentes. Raquet struck out four, walked one and allowed four runs (two earned) on eight hits in his start. Acevedo struck out four as well, but did so over three scoreless frames. Steven Fuentes, meanwhile, took the loss after allowing Carolina's winning run in the tenth. He also struck out three and allowed just the one hit.
Fuentes (3-2, 3.07) took the loss after allowing Carroll's game winning sac fly in the tenth. The inning began with Wilson at second, but he moved to third moments later on a balk charged to Fuentes. Hummel was then hit by a pitch and later moved to second on defensive indifference before Carroll's sac fly. Carroll then followed and won the game with his sac fly to center that scored Wilson from third.
The victory was Carolina's second straight overall and gave them a 1-0 lead in the three game series. It also pulled them within seven games of first in the second half playoff race and was their league leading 23rd one-run victory of the season.
The series will continue on Saturday evening in Zebulon with the first pitch scheduled for 5:00 p.m. Saturday's game will include a souvenir item giveaway as the Mudcats will handout wrestling masks for "Mudcats Mania Wrestling Night" at Five County Stadium. The first 1,200 kids ages 14 and under will receive the one-of-a-kind souvenir as the enter through the Five County Stadium gates.
Tickets are available by visiting www.carolinamudcats.com/tickets, by calling (919) 269-CATS (2287) and by visiting the Five County Stadium front office in Zebulon. The game will air on the Mudcats Radio Network, the Big Dawg 98.5 FM and via TuneIn Radio at carolinamudcats.com. It will also stream live via video on MiLB.tv.
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