Carolina Swept in Kinston Despite Hitting Three Homers

Carolina 5 @ Down East 7

June 26, 2022 | Venue : Grainger Stadium | First pitch : 1:01 PM | Att : 1,456 | T : 2:24

CAR: 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 2 5 4 0

DE: 0 0 0 4 1 1 0 1 x 7 12 0

WP: Winston Santos (3 - 2) LP: Edwin Jimenez (1 - 3)

KINSTON – Jheremy Vargas, Jackson Chourio and Hedbert Perez all homered, but the Down East Wood Ducks totaled seven runs on 12 hits while finishing off a series sweep of the Carolina Mudcats 7-5 on Sunday afternoon at Grainger Stadium. The loss was Carolina’s season high sixth straight.

The Mudcats (34-35) totaled three home runs in the game and scored five runs on just four hits. Those five runs were one more than their previous five games combined. They were also not enough as the Wood Ducks (36-33) scored four times in the fourth, and once in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings while finishing off a series sweep with Sunday’s finale victory.

Vargas delivered what was Carolina’s first hit and first runs of the game when he connected on a two-run home run off starter Winston Santos in the fifth. Chourio then gave the Mudcats their second hit of the game with a solo home run off reliever Nick Lockhart in the sixth. After a Jeferson Quero double, Perez then connected on a two-run home run in the ninth off Theo McDowell.

Santos (3-2) earned the win for the victory for the Wood Ducks as he held Carolina to just one hit and two runs over five innings. Santos also walked a couple and struck out seven. Lockhart worked the sixth and allowed Chourio’s homer in what was his only inning. Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa pitched a scoreless seventh, Damian Mendoza worked the eighth, and McDowell pitched the ninth.

Carolina’s starter Edwin Jimenez took the loss after allowing four runs and six hits over three and 2/3 innings. Jimenez (1-3) began his outing working through three scoreless before giving up four runs and four hits in the fourth. The first of those run came on a two-out, two-run single from Junior Paniagua.

Jimenez left with two outs in the fourth and reliever Brannon Jordan would follow out of the Carolina pen. Jordan was the first of four Carolina relievers in the game with Jordan allowing a run and three hits over an inning and 1/3, Jakob Brustoski allowing a run and one hit in an inning and a 1/3, Michelle Vassalotti striking out the only two batters he faced while going through 2/3 of an inning, and Karlos Morales striking out two and allowing a run on two hits in the eighth.

HOME RUNS:

Carolina: Vargas (3, 5th inning off Santos, 1 on, 2 out); Chourio (8, 6th inning off Lockhart, 0 on, 0 out); Perez (10, 9th inning off McDowell, T, 1 on, 2 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:

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

Chourio, CF (Carolina): 1-for-4, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Perez, LF (Carolina): 1-for-4, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Quero, DH (Carolina): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

Rodriguez, J, DH (Down East): 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

Paniagua, 3B (Down East): 2-for-4, 2 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI

Osuna, A, RF (Down East): 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI

Mateo, LF (Down East): 2-for-4, 0 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:

Jordan (Carolina): 1.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO

Brustoski (Carolina): 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO

Vassalotti (Carolina): 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO

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

Santos (W, 3-2) (Down East): 5 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO

Lockhart (H, 2) (Down East): 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO

Hoopii-Tuionetoa (H, 2) (Down East): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO

Mendoza, D (H, 1) (Down East): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO

* SCORING:*

Wood Ducks 4th (Wood Ducks 4, Mudcats 0) -- Maximo Acosta grounds out, Jean Carmona to Jesus Chirinos. Jose Rodriguez hits a ground rule double to left field. Ian Moller walks. Abimelec Ortiz singles to right-center field, Jose Rodriguez to 3rd; Ian Moller to 2nd. Xavier Valentin struck out looking. Junior Paniagua singles up the middle, Jose Rodriguez scores; Ian Moller scores; Abimelec Ortiz to 2nd. Alejandro Osuna doubles to center field, Abimelec Ortiz scores; Junior Paniagua scores. Pitcher Change: Brannon Jordan replaces Edwin Jimenez. Daniel Mateo singles to shallow center field, Alejandro Osuna to 3rd. Daniel Mateo steals 2nd base. Marcus Smith walks. Maximo Acosta lines out to Jackson Chourio.

(4 Runs, 5 Hits, 0 Errors, 3 LOB)

Mudcats 5th (Wood Ducks 4, Mudcats 2) -- Hedbert Perez struck out looking. Jesus Garcia hit by pitch. Jesus Chirinos flies out to Marcus Smith. Jheremy Vargas hits a home run to left field on a 2-2 pitch, Jesus Garcia scores. Hendry Mendez strikes out swinging.

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

Wood Ducks 5th (Wood Ducks 5, Mudcats 2) -- Jose Rodriguez doubles to left field. Ian Moller singles to left-center field, Jose Rodriguez scores. Abimelec Ortiz strikes out swinging. Xavier Valentin strikes out swinging. Junior Paniagua flies out to Hendry Mendez.

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

Mudcats 6th (Wood Ducks 5, Mudcats 3) -- Pitcher Change: Nick Lockhart replaces Winston Santos. Jackson Chourio hits a home run to left field on a 3-2 pitch. Eduardo Garcia grounds out, Maximo Acosta to Abimelec Ortiz. Jeferson Quero flies out to Marcus Smith. Jean Carmona flies out to Marcus Smith.

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

Wood Ducks 6th (Wood Ducks 6, Mudcats 3) -- Pitcher Change: Jakob Brustoski replaces Brannon Jordan. Alejandro Osuna walks. Alejandro Osuna steals 2nd base. Alejandro Osuna steals 3rd base. Daniel Mateo out on a sacrifice fly to Hendry Mendez, Alejandro Osuna scores. Marcus Smith strikes out swinging. Maximo Acosta singles to right-center field. Maximo Acosta picked off and caught stealing 2nd base, Jakob Brustoski to Jesus Chirinos to Eduardo Garcia.

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

Wood Ducks 8th (Wood Ducks 7, Mudcats 3) -- Pitcher Change: Karlos Morales replaces Michele Vassalotti. Xavier Valentin strikes out swinging. Junior Paniagua singles to left-center field. Wild pitch by Karlos Morales, Junior Paniagua to 2nd. Junior Paniagua steals 3rd base. Alejandro Osuna strikes out swinging. Daniel Mateo singles to shallow left field, Junior Paniagua scores. Marcus Smith grounds out, Jheremy Vargas to Jesus Chirinos.

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

Mudcats 9th (Wood Ducks 7, Mudcats 5) -- Pitcher Change: Theo McDowell replaces Damian Mendoza. Eduardo Garcia grounds out, Junior Paniagua to Abimelec Ortiz. Jeferson Quero doubles to left-center field. Jean Carmona grounds out, Xavier Valentin to Abimelec Ortiz, Jeferson Quero to 3rd. Hedbert Perez hits a home run to center field on a 0-0 pitch, Jeferson Quero scores. Jesus Garcia flies out to Daniel Mateo.

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