Carolina Drops Second Straight to Down East 3-1 on Sunday Night

ZEBULON, NC - Ryan Aguilar hit a solo home run in the third to bring the Mudcats within one, but Down East pitchers Jake Latz, Alex Eubanks and Joe Kuzia combined to hold Carolina to 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 Mudcats on base as the Wood Ducks won their second straight 3-1 on Sunday night at Five County Stadium. 

With the loss, the Mudcats (29-21) fell to 4.5 games back of the first place Wood Ducks (34-17) in the Carolina League Southern Division Standings. They also fell into a two games to one deficit in their current four game set against visiting Down East.
Braden Webb started the game for Carolina and took the loss after allowing a run in the first, third and fifth innings. Webb (L, 0-1, 2.75) also walked four and struck out five while allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits over five innings pitched.
Yonny Hernandez singled and scored on a sacrifice fly in the first to put the Wood Ducks up 1-0. JP Martinez then scored the second Down East run in third after reaching on a walk, stealing second and moving to third on an error on the same stolen base play. He then scored on a double steal with Leody Taveras taking second against Webb and catcher Payton Henry. Taveras also stole third in the third and the Wood Ducks totaled five stolen bases in the game.
The Mudcats were down 2-0 in the third before Aguilar connected on his home run to straightaway right. The home run was Aguilar's second of the season and brought the Mudcats within one of the lead at 2-1.
Down East, however, then took their 3-1 lead after scoring once more in the fifth when Yanio Perez doubled and scored on a RBI hit from Hernandez. Perez went 1-for-4 with a run, Hernandez went 2-for-3 with a run and a RBI and Taveras went 1-for-2 with two walks while accounting for almost all of the offense in the game for Down East. 
The Wood Ducks managed three hits in their one run fifth, but totaled just four hits overall in the game against Webb and the Carolina bullpen. Michael Petersen followed Webb in the sixth and worked into the eighth before leaving the game after walking two batters in the frame. J.T. Hintzen followed and was able to strand both inherited runners on base before later pitching a scoreless ninth.
Petersen struck out two and walked two over two scoreless and hitless innings. Hintzen then walked one and struck out two over two hitless and scoreless frames of his own while finishing the game.
Latz (W, 3-1, 2.86) started for the Wood Ducks and worked around a one out hit from Aguilar in the first, a leadoff double (stretched to three bases after an error by Martinez in left) from Wes Rogers in the second, a one-out walk in the fourth and two walks in the fifth while earning the win. Latz struck out nine, walked four and allowed just one run on three hits in the victory.
Eubanks (H, 1) and Kuzia (S, 1) then combined on the final four frames to wrap up the game three of four victory for Down East. Eubanks scattered four hits and struck out two over three scoreless frames. Kuzia worked the ninth and struck out one while closing the game to earn his first save of the season.
In all, the Mudcats left 11 men on base and went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position in the loss. They also wasted lead off doubles in the second and seventh while failing to rally back in the game.
The series will conclude on Monday afternoon at Five County Stadium with the series finale slated to begin at 12:00 p.m. Monday's game is also the eighth and final game of an eight game home stand for the Mudcats. Carolina is currently 3-4 during the home stand after splitting a series with Lynchburg and now being down 2-1 to Down East. The game will air live on the Mudcats Radio Network, The Big Dawg 98.5 FM and online at carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio.
# # #