Chourio Stays Red Hot in 6-3 Finale Victory

Carolina 6 @ Lynchburg 3

June 05, 2022 | Venue : Bank of the James Stadium | Weather : 81 degrees, Clear | Att : 1,146 | First pitch : 5:01 PM

CAR: 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 6 12 1

LYN: 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 7 0

WP: Carlos Rodriguez (2 - 1) LP: Jack Leftwich (3 - 1)

LYNCHBURG – Jackson Chourio went 3-for-4 with a first inning home run and three RBI, Eduardo Garcia hit a solo home run in the second and reliever Carlos Rodriguez struck out eight over four scoreless innings as the Carolina Mudcats defeated the Lynchburg Hillcats 6-3 in Sunday’s series finale in Lynchburg, VA.

The Mudcats (28-23) jumped out to an early lead with Chourio’s solo home run in the first and Garcia’s solo blast to start the second. Chourio’s home run was his fourth of the season and extended his hitting streak to 12 consecutive games and his on-base streak to 20 straight.

The Hillcats (28-22) were down 2-0 in through two before getting on the board with a run scoring hit from Jorge Burgos in the third. Chourio then singled and scored on a Hedbert Perez sac fly in the fourth to make it 3-1, but the Hillcats scored twice to tie the game at 3-3 in that same fourth inning. That rally started with Junior Sanquintin’s first home run of the season.

The game was locked at 3-3 through the seventh before Chourio drove in two runs with a tie-breaking single in the eighth. Carolina then added one last run with a Oswal Leones RBI double in the ninth.

Relievers Jack Leftwich and Davis Sharpe combined to allow the final four Carolina runs with Leftwich (3-1) allowing Chourio’s singles – and eventual runs – in the fourth and eighth innings. Sharpe inherited two runners from Leftwich in the eighth and allowed both to score.

Alexander Cornielle started for the Mudcats and worked through the fifth with three runs (two earned) allowed on five hits. Cornielle also walked three and struck out three. Rodriguez took over in the sixth and would turn in four scoreless frames with eight strikeouts, two hits and one walk while earning the victory.

The Mudcats salvaged Sunday’s series finale while finishing 2-4 in their six-game road series with the Carolina League North leading Hillcats. With Sunday’s victory, the Mudcats now sit at just a 0.5 game out of first behind Lynchburg.

HOME RUNS:

Carolina: Chourio (4, 1st inning off Miller, 0 on, 2 out); Garcia, E (3, 2nd inning off Munoz, 0 on, 0 out).

Lynchburg: Sanquintin (1, 4th inning off Cornielle, 0 on, 0 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:

Chourio, DH (Carolina): 3-for-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI

Quero, C (Carolina): 3-for-4

Garcia, E, SS (Carolina): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Perez, CF (Carolina): 1-for-3, 1 RBI

Leones, LF (Carolina): 1-for-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI

Sanquintin, 1B (Lynchburg): 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Valdes, 2B (Lynchburg): 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI

Burgos, J, RF (Lynchburg): 1-for-3, 1 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:

Cornielle (Carolina): 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO

Rodriguez (Carolina): 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO

Miller (Lynchburg): 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO

Munoz (Lynchburg): 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO

Sharpe (Lynchburg): 1.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO

SCORING:

Mudcats 1st (Mudcats 1, Hillcats 0) -- Jheremy Vargas pops out to Yordys Valdes. Zack Raabe flies out to Jorge Burgos. Jackson Chourio hits a home run to left field on a 2-1 pitch. Jeferson Quero struck out looking.

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

Mudcats 2nd (Mudcats 2, Hillcats 0) -- Pitcher Change: Braunny Munoz replaces Jake Miller on a 2-2 count. Eduardo Garcia hits a home run to left field on a 2-2 pitch. Hedbert Perez singles to left-center field. Hendry Mendez grounds into double play, Yordys Valdes to Milan Tolentino to Junior Sanquintin, Hedbert Perez out at 2nd, Hendry Mendez out at 1st. Jesus Chirinos flies out to Jorge Burgos.

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

Hillcats 3rd (Mudcats 2, Hillcats 1) -- Defensive Substitution: Luis Silva replaces second baseman Zack Raabe, batting 2nd, playing 3rd. Defensive switch from 3rd to 2nd for Jheremy Vargas. Victor Planchart strikes out swinging. Yordys Valdes singles to left field. Isaiah Greene reaches on throwing error by Eduardo Garcia, Yordys Valdes to 2nd. Jake Fox grounds into a force out, Jheremy Vargas to Eduardo Garcia, Yordys Valdes to 3rd; Isaiah Greene out at 2nd. Jorge Burgos singles to center field, Yordys Valdes scores; Jake Fox to 2nd. Milan Tolentino grounds out, Jheremy Vargas to Jesus Chirinos.

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

Mudcats 4th (Mudcats 3, Hillcats 1) -- Pitcher Change: Jack Leftwich replaces Braunny Munoz. Jackson Chourio singles to right field. Jeferson Quero singles to left field, Jackson Chourio to 3rd. Eduardo Garcia strikes out swinging. Jeferson Quero steals 2nd base. Hedbert Perez out on a sacrifice fly to Jorge Burgos, Jackson Chourio scores; Jeferson Quero to 3rd. Hendry Mendez grounds out, Milan Tolentino to Junior Sanquintin.

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

Hillcats 4th (Mudcats 3, Hillcats 3) -- Junior Sanquintin hits a home run to right field on a 2-0 pitch. Dayan Frias grounds out, Eduardo Garcia to Jesus Chirinos. Will Bartlett walks. Victor Planchart grounds out, Luis Silva to Jesus Chirinos, Will Bartlett to 2nd. Yordys Valdes singles up the middle, Will Bartlett scores. Wild pitch by Alexander Cornielle, Yordys Valdes to 2nd. Isaiah Greene grounds out, Jheremy Vargas to Jesus Chirinos.

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

Mudcats 8th (Mudcats 5, Hillcats 3) -- Oswal Leones grounds out, Junior Sanquintin to Jack Leftwich. Jheremy Vargas walks. Luis Silva singles to shallow left field, Jheremy Vargas to 2nd. Pitcher Change: Davis Sharpe replaces Jack Leftwich. Wild pitch by Davis Sharpe, Jheremy Vargas to 3rd; Luis Silva to 2nd. Jackson Chourio singles to left field, Jheremy Vargas scores; Luis Silva scores. Jeferson Quero singles through the hole at second base, Jackson Chourio to 3rd. Jeferson Quero picked off and caught stealing 2nd base, Davis Sharpe to Yordys Valdes. Eduardo Garcia pops out to Yordys Valdes.

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

Mudcats 9th (Mudcats 6, Hillcats 3) -- Hedbert Perez flies out to Isaiah Greene. Hendry Mendez walks. Jesus Chirinos singles up the middle, Hendry Mendez to 2nd. Wild pitch by Davis Sharpe, Hendry Mendez to 3rd; Jesus Chirinos to 2nd. Oswal Leones doubles to right-center field, Hendry Mendez scores; Jesus Chirinos out at home on the throw, Jorge Burgos to Milan Tolentino to Victor Planchart. Jheremy Vargas flies out to Jake Fox.

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