Carolina Outlasts Augusta in Rain-Shortened Game

Augusta 5 @ Carolina 6 (7)

August 19, 2021 | Venue : Five County Stadium | First pitch : 7:04 PM | Att : 780 | T : 2:31 (1:26 delay)

AUG: 1 0 2 2 0 0 0 x x 5 11 0

CAR: 2 1 0 0 3 0 x x x 6 7 1

WP: Juan Geraldo (3 - 2) LP: Malcolm Van Buren (1 - 2) SV: Peyton Long (1)

ZEBULON – Andre Nnebe delivered a two-run double in the fifth to give the Carolina Mudcats the late lead in a rain-shortened 6-5 victory over the Augusta GreenJackets on Thursday night at Five County Stadium. The Mudcats won their third straight game while seeing Freddy Zamora go 2-for-2 with two runs, run scoring doubles from Nnebe and Ashton McGee and Alex Binelas’ first career home run.

The Mudcats (56-37) originally trailed 1-0 in the first before Binelas gave them the lead with a two-run home run with two outs in the Carolina half of the first. With Carolina leading 2-1 after the first, Sal Frelick then stretched the lead to 3-1 with a RBI single off starter Austin Hoffman. Frelick stretched his current hitting streak to seven straight games with his run scoring hit with two outs in the second.

The GreenJackets (40-53) came back in the third with two runs to tie the game before Justyn-Henry Malloy broke the tie with a two-run homer in the fourth. Carolina was down 5-3 going into the fifth, but following a near hour long rain delay, the Mudcats rallied back with two run scoring doubles from McGee and Nnebe in the last of the fifth while taking the 6-5 lead. The game entered a second delay in the seventh and was then called due to inclement weather.

Juan Geraldo (3-2, 5.63) pitched through heavy rain while working through a scoreless fifth to later earn the win. Peyton Long (S, 1) then followed with two scoreless frames coming out of the delay to earn his first save of the season.

Malcolm Can Buren (1-2, 15.26) retired just two batters in the fifth and allowed both run-scoring doubles to McGee and Nnebe while taking the loss.

Nnebe went 1-for-2 with his lone hit of the game being Carolina’s go-ahead double in the fifth. McGee also went 1-for-2 with a RBI double and a run scored. Zamora had Carolina’s only multi-hit night in the rain-shortened game as he went 2-for-2 with two runs, a double and two walks.

Malloy led the way for the GreenJackets as he went 3-for-3 with two runs, three RBI and his first career home run. Cade Bunnell, Landon Stephens and Cam Shepherd each had two hit nights while helping Augusta total 11 hits in the game.

Carolina starter Nick Belzer allowed seven of those hits while also allowing three runs over two plus innings. Belzer also walked one and struck out three in what was his first outing since returning from a near three-week stint on the injured list. Keegan McCarville followed Belzer in the third and ended up allowing two of three inherited runners to score in the third. He also gave up Malloy’s home run in the fourth.

Carolina took a 3-0 lead in the series with Thursday’s victory. They also improved to 6-0 this season when playing as the Micro Brews at Five County Stadium.

HOME RUNS:

Augusta HR : Malloy (1, 4th inning off McCarville, 1 on, 2 out).

Carolina HR : Binelas (1, 1st inning off Hoffmann, 1 on, 2 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:

Zamora, SS (Carolina): 2-for-2, 2 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

Binelas, DH (Carolina): 1-for-3, 2 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI

McGee, 1B (Carolina): 1-for-2, 1 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI

Nnebe, LF (Carolina): 1-for-2, 1 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI

Malloy, 3B (Augusta): 3-for-3, 2 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI

Bunnell, 1B (Augusta): 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

Stephens, LF (Augusta): 2-for-3, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:

Geraldo (W, 3-2) (Carolina): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO

Long (S, 1) (Carolina): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 SO

Spain (Augusta): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO

Acuna (Augusta): 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO

SCORING:

GreenJackets 1st (GreenJackets 1, Mudcats 0) -- Cal Conley strikes out swinging. Vaughn Grissom walks. Vaughn Grissom steals 2nd base. Cade Bunnell strikes out swinging. Landon Stephens singles to deep shortstop, Vaughn Grissom to 3rd. Justyn-Henry Malloy singles up the middle, Vaughn Grissom scores; Landon Stephens to 2nd. Christian Robinson grounds out, Ashton McGee to Nick Belzer.

(1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)

Mudcats 1st (Mudcats 2, GreenJackets 1) -- Sal Frelick grounds out, Cade Bunnell to Andrew Hoffmann. Ethan Murray grounds out, Justyn-Henry Malloy to Cade Bunnell. Freddy Zamora doubles to center field. Alex Binelas hits a home run to right field on a 0-2 pitch, Freddy Zamora scores. Ashton McGee walks. Micah Bello strikes out swinging.

(2 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Mudcats 2nd (Mudcats 3, GreenJackets 1) -- Darrien Miller grounds out, Cam Shepherd to Cade Bunnell. Andre Nnebe walks. Andre Nnebe steals 2nd base. Noah Campbell strikes out swinging. Sal Frelick singles to right-center field, Andre Nnebe scores. Ethan Murray singles to center field, Sal Frelick to 3rd. Freddy Zamora walks, Ethan Murray to 2nd. Alex Binelas strikes out swinging.

(1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 3 LOB)

GreenJackets 3rd (GreenJackets 3, Mudcats 3) -- Landon Stephens singles to left-center field. Justyn-Henry Malloy singles to center field, Landon Stephens to 2nd. Christian Robinson singles through the hole at second base, Landon Stephens to 3rd; Justyn-Henry Malloy to 2nd. Pitcher Change: Keegan McCarville replaces Nick Belzer. Stephen Paolini strikes out swinging. Cam Shepherd singles to center field, Landon Stephens scores; Justyn-Henry Malloy to 3rd; Christian Robinson to 2nd. Tyler Tolve grounds into a force out, Noah Campbell to Ethan Murray, Justyn-Henry Malloy scores; Christian Robinson to 3rd; Cam Shepherd out at 2nd. Cal Conley pops out to Darrien Miller in foul territory.

(2 Runs, 4 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)

GreenJackets 4th (GreenJackets 5, Mudcats 3) -- Vaughn Grissom flies out to Sal Frelick. Cade Bunnell singles through the hole at second base. Landon Stephens strikes out swinging. Cade Bunnell steals 2nd base. throwing error by Darrien Miller. Justyn-Henry Malloy hits a home run to left-center field on a 3-1 pitch, Cade Bunnell scores. Christian Robinson lines out to Sal Frelick.

(2 Runs, 2 Hits, 1 Errors, 0 LOB)

Mudcats 5th (Mudcats 6, GreenJackets 5) -- Pitcher Change: Malcolm Van Buren replaces Dylan Spain. Freddy Zamora walks. Alex Binelas walks, Freddy Zamora to 2nd. Ashton McGee doubles to left field, Freddy Zamora scores; Alex Binelas to 3rd. Micah Bello strikes out swinging. Darrien Miller strikes out swinging. Andre Nnebe doubles to left-center field, Alex Binelas scores; Ashton McGee scores. Pitcher Change: James Acuna replaces Malcolm Van Buren. Wild pitch by James Acuna, Andre Nnebe to 3rd. Noah Campbell flies out to Stephen Paolini.

(3 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)