Carolina Suffers Season High Sixth Straight Loss

Carolina 5 @ Fayetteville 6

July 01, 2021 | Venue : SEGRA Stadium | First pitch : 6:38 PM | Att : 2,987 | T : 3:34

WP: Jayson Schroeder (2 - 1) LP: Michele Vassalotti (1 - 3)

FAYETTEVILLE – Zavier Warren went 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI and Joe Gray Jr. drove in his Low-A East leading 50th RBI with a bases loaded walk, but Fayetteville answered Carolina every step of the way while handing the Mudcats their sixth straight loss with a 6-5 victory at SEGRA Stadium on Thursday night.

The Mudcats (28-22) scored twice via bases loaded walks in the third and seventh innings while first taking a 1-0 lead in the third and pulling within one at 3-2 in the seventh. The Woodpeckers (21-29) answered back with three runs in both the third and seventh and led 6-2 before Carolina rallied for three runs in the ninth to get within one. That three-run rally ended up not being enough as the Woodpeckers handed Carolina its season worst sixth straight loss.

J.C. Correa led the way for the Woodpeckers as he doubled and scored in the third, while also driving in a run with a double in the seventh. Justin Dirden also had a big night as he went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI.

Correa’s third inning run came across on a RBI double from Dirden and moments before an error by Freddy Zamora allowed the inning to go long enough for Sean Mendoza to dump in a go-ahead, two-run single to center.

Starter Michele Vassalotti ended up allowing three runs in the third, but only one was earned. Vassalotti (1-3, 8.02) went on to work into the fourth, but left after walking a batter to start the inning. Vassalotti walked three, struck out two and gave up three runs over three plus.

Reliever Peyton Long followed Vassalotti and worked three scoreless frames before giving up three runs and four hits in the seventh. In all, Long struck out four walked one and allowed three runs on four hits over four innings pitched. Long gave up Correa’s RBI double in the seventh and back-to-back two-out, RBI doubles to both Dirden and Luke Berryhill.

Carolina’s three-run ninth began with a walk by Gabe Holt and continued with a walk from Gray and a RBI single from Felix Valerio. It then continued with Gray scoring on a wild pitch and Valerio later coming across on a groundout. That would end up, however, all she wrote for the Mudcats as their rally ended after three runs as Fayetteville took game five of the series 6-5.

Valerio’s run-scoring hit in the ninth was Carolina’s only scoring hit of the game. The Mudcats finished the game 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base.

Starter Jayson Schroeder (2-1, 7.52) earned the win for Fayetteville after going through five and 1/3 innings pitched with just one run allowed on three hits. Carolina’s three-run ninth came against reliever Daniel Poprico, while their lone run in the seventh was walked in by Fabrico Reina.

The series will continue on Friday night with the first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:

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

McGee, DH (Carolina): 1-for-5, 0 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

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

Correa, SS (Fayetteville): 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI

Dirden, RF (Fayetteville): 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:

Long (Carolina): 4 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO

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

Schroeder (W, 2-1) (Fayetteville): 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 2 SO

Reina (H, 1) (Fayetteville): 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO

SCORING PLAYS:

Mudcats 3rd (Mudcats 1, Woodpeckers 0) -- Noah Campbell singles to left field. Noah Campbell steals 2nd base. Andre Nnebe walks. Michael Wilson struck out looking. Jayson Schroeder picks off Noah Campbell at on throw to J.C. Correa. Andre Nnebe steals 2nd base. Gabe Holt walks, Andre Nnebe to 3rd;wild pitch by Jayson Schroeder. Freddy Zamora walks, Gabe Holt to 2nd. Joe Gray Jr. walks, Andre Nnebe scores; Gabe Holt to 3rd; Freddy Zamora to 2nd. Felix Valerio grounds out to Yeuris Ramirez.

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

Woodpeckers 3rd (Woodpeckers 3, Mudcats 1) -- Jordan Brewer flies out to Michael Wilson. J.C. Correa doubles to right-center field. Nerio Rodriguez flies out to Joe Gray Jr., J.C. Correa to 3rd. Justin Dirden singles to center field, J.C. Correa scores. Luke Berryhill reaches on throwing error by Freddy Zamora, Justin Dirden to 3rd; Luke Berryhill to 2nd. Sean Mendoza singles to center field, Justin Dirden scores; Luke Berryhill scores. Sean Mendoza steals 2nd base. Sean Mendoza steals 3rd base. Ronaldo Urdaneta grounds out, Freddy Zamora to Noah Campbell.

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

Mudcats 7th (Woodpeckers 3, Mudcats 2) -- Michael Wilson strikes out swinging. Gabe Holt singles through the hole at second base. Freddy Zamora walks, Gabe Holt to 2nd. Joe Gray Jr. singles to shallow left field, Gabe Holt to 3rd; Freddy Zamora to 2nd. Felix Valerio grounds into a force out, Yeuris Ramirez to Luke Berryhill, Gabe Holt out at home, Freddy Zamora to 3rd; Joe Gray Jr. to 2nd. Zavier Warren walks, Freddy Zamora scores; Joe Gray Jr. to 3rd; Felix Valerio to 2nd. Ashton McGee struck out looking.

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

Woodpeckers 7th (Woodpeckers 6, Mudcats 2) -- Yohander Martinez singles to center field. Jordan Brewer strikes out swinging. J.C. Correa doubles to left field, Yohander Martinez scores. Nerio Rodriguez flies out to Joe Gray Jr., J.C. Correa to 3rd. Justin Dirden doubles through the hole at second base, J.C. Correa scores. Luke Berryhill doubles to left field, Justin Dirden scores. Sean Mendoza strikes out swinging.

(3 Runs, 4 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Mudcats 9th (Woodpeckers 6, Mudcats 5) -- Gabe Holt walks. Freddy Zamora strikes out swinging. Joe Gray Jr. walks, Gabe Holt to 2nd. Felix Valerio singles up the middle, Gabe Holt scores; Joe Gray Jr. to 3rd; Felix Valerio to 2nd. Wild pitch by Daniel Procopio, Joe Gray Jr. scores; Felix Valerio to 3rd. Zavier Warren grounds out, Sean Mendoza to Yeuris Ramirez, Felix Valerio scores. Ashton McGee grounds out, Sean Mendoza to Yeuris Ramirez.

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