Carolina Cruises to 6-0 Victory with Six Run Second

Fayetteville 0 @ Carolina 6
August 16, 2022 | Venue : Five County Stadium | First pitch : 7:03 PM | Att : 704 | T : 2:21

FAY: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0
CAR: 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 x 6 9 1

WP: Pablo Garabitos (4 - 0) LP: Alex Santos II (0 - 10)

ZEBULON – A six-run Carolina second fueled by a Hedbert Perez home run, a Jose Sibrian double and a Jose Avina grand slam proved to be more than enough as starter Logan Henderson and relievers Pablo Garabitos and Brannon Jordan combined on a shutout in a 6-0 Carolina Mudcats victory versus the Fayetteville Woodpeckers on Tuesday night at Five County Stadium.

Henderson started and spun his way through two scoreless innings with two hits and three strikeouts while totaling 30 pitches (20 strikes) in his Carolina (22-21, 56-53) debut. Garabitos (4-0) followed and went on to give the Mudcats five scoreless innings while earning the victory. In all, Garabitos scattered four hits, totaled six strikeouts and stranded three runners over his five-inning effort. Jordan then worked a scoreless eighth and scoreless ninth where he combined to allow a hit, walk one and strike out two over the final two innings.

Fayetteville (16-27, 47-61) starter Alex Santos allowed all six of Carolina’s runs in the second while seeing the Mudcats take a commanding 6-0 lead early in Tuesday’s series opener. Perez started the second with a solo home run off Santos (0-10) while giving Carolina its first run of the game. Eduarqui Fernandez immediately followed with a single and scored moments later on Sibrian’s double. After Moore was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Avina capped the six-run rally with his grand slam to right.

The grand slam was Avina’s fourth home run since joining the Mudcats on August 6. Avina also doubled in Tuesday’s series opener, giving him six extra base hits over his first nine games with Carolina. The Perez home run, meanwhile, was his team leading 14th of the season.

The Mudcats totaled six runs and five hits in the second, but ended up totaling just two other hits the rest of the way as Santos worked a scoreless third and relievers Ronny Garcia and Edinson Batista kept the Carolina offense in check. Garcia struck out two over a scoreless inning in the fourth. Batista then finished the game with four scoreless innings where he scattered two hits and struck out five.

The victory lifted the Mudcats into a 1-0 lead in the series. It also pulled them into a tie for second place with the Down East Wood Ducks in the Carolina League North second half playoff race. Both the Wood Ducks and Mudcats are 5.5 games back of the Fredericksburg Nationals with 23 games remaining this season.

HOME RUNS:
Carolina: Perez (14, 2nd inning off Santos, 0 on, 0 out); Avina (4, 2nd inning off Santos, 3 on, 1 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:
Avina, CF (Carolina): 2-for-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI
Perez, RF (Carolina): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Sibrian, C (Carolina): 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Moore, 2B (Carolina): 2-for-3, 1 R
Whitaker, RF (Fayetteville): 2-for-4, 2 2B
Melton, CF (Fayetteville): 2-for-3

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:
Henderson (Carolina): 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO
Garabitos (W, 4-0) (Carolina): 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 SO
Jordan (Carolina): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO
Garcia, R (Fayetteville): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO
Batista (Fayetteville): 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO

SCORING:
Mudcats 2nd (Mudcats 6, Woodpeckers 0) -- Hedbert Perez hits a home run down the right-field line on a 2-1 pitch. Eduarqui Fernandez singles to left field. Eduarqui Fernandez steals 2nd base. Jadher Areinamo walks. Jose Sibrian doubles to center field, Eduarqui Fernandez scores; Jadher Areinamo to 3rd. Robert Moore hit by pitch. Eric Brown Jr. strikes out swinging. Jace Avina hits a grand slam to right field on a 2-1 pitch, Jadher Areinamo scores; Jose Sibrian scores; Robert Moore scores. Jesus Chirinos singles to left field, Jesus Chirinos out at 2nd on the throw, Zach Cole Jr. to Tommy Sacco Jr. Luis Castillo flies out to Jacob Melton.
(6 Runs, 5 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)