Clarke and Binelas Homer in 18-9 Loss to Delmarva

Delmarva 18 @ Carolina 9

August 31, 2021 | Venue : Five County Stadium | First pitch : 7:03 PM | Att : 589 | T : 3:51

DEL: 0 0 5 0 7 6 0 0 0 18 15 1
CAR: 4 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 9 13 4

WP: Jensen Elliott (4 - 1) LP: Justin Miller (0 - 1)

ZEBULON – Wes Clarke hit a two-run home run in the first, Alex Binelas homered in the fifth, Tyler Black had two doubles and Ernesto Martinez went 1-for-5 while extending his hitting streak to 15 consecutive games, but the Mudcats allowed a season high in runs while dropping Tuesday’s series opener with the Shorebirds 18-9 at Five County Stadium.

The Mudcats (61-42) originally led 4-0 after the first before the Shorebirds (58-45) came back with five unearned runs in the third. Carolina went on to tie the game with a run in the bottom of the third, but Delmarva went on to score 13 runs over the fifth and sixth while breaking the game open with an 18-9 lead before the seventh. The Mudcats did score four times in the fifth to get back within three, but the Delmarva offense proved to be too much as they batted around for the third time during their six run sixth.

Jeferson Figueroa started for Carolina and had worked through two scoreless frames before allowing five unearned runs in the third. That inning included errors by Black and Binelas and saw Figueroa allow a run-scoring hit to Colton Cowser and a two-run double to Donta’ Williams. Figueroa managed to record two outs in the third, but ended up leaving with two outs in the inning. Reliever Justin Miller followed and went on to escape the rest of the frame while allowing one of two inherited runners to score.

Williams went 3-for-4 with three runs and four RBI for Delmarva. Cowser went 2-for-3 with three runs and two RBI. Jacob Teter also drove in four runs while going 2-for-6 with a two-run home run in the sixth.

Miller (0-1, 12.46) originally entered the game in the third, and went on to hold the Shorebirds scoreless before walking in a run and seeing three other runs score against him in the fifth. Miguel Guerrero allowed the other three runs (as well as three inherited runners) to score in the seven-run frame while seeing the Shorebirds break the game open. Keegan McCarville later allowed five of the six Delmarva runs in the sixth. Robbie Baker also allowed a run in the sixth, but gave the Mudcats two and 1/3 solid innings in relief before leaving after the eighth. Utility man Noah Campbell then worked a scoreless ninth and struck out one.

Carolina’s four run first started with a two-out double from Black and continued with a RBI single from Martinez, a run-scoring double from Binelas and Clarke’s two-run home run. The lone third inning run came across on a run-scoring single from Clarke and the four run fifth included Binelas’ home run and a two-run single from Zack Raabe.

Black went 3-for-5 with two runs and two doubles. Clarke homered in the first and was 2-for-4 with a run and three RBI. Binelas finished a triple shy of the cycle while going 3-for-5 with three runs, a home run and three RBI.

Reliever Jensen Elliot (4-1, 4.08) earned the win after holding the Mudcats to on run on two hits over three and 1/3 innings. Gregori Vasquez earned a hold after blanking the Mudcats over the sixth, seventh and eighth.

Carolina’s lead in the race for the second playoff berth fell to a 0.5 game over Salem as the Red Sox were idle after a home postponement versus Fredericksburg. Carolina’s lead over Down East remained at 1.0 game as the Wood Ducks lost earlier in the night.

HOME RUNS:

Delmarva HR : Teter (1, 6th inning off McCarville, 1 on, 2 out).

Carolina HR : Clarke, W (3, 1st inning off Bishop, 1 on, 2 out); Binelas (3, 5th inning off Federman, 1 on, 1 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:

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

Clarke, W, C (Carolina): 2-for-4, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI

Black, 2B (Carolina): 3-for-5, 2 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

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

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

Teter, 1B (Delmarva): 2-for-6, 2 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBI

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

Cowser, CF (Delmarva): 2-for-3, 3 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI

Mayo, 3B (Delmarva): 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI

Pavolony, C (Delmarva): 2-for-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 4 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:

Baker (Carolina): 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO

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

Elliott (W, 4-1) (Fredericksburg): 3.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO

Price (Fredericksburg): 0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO

Vasquez, G (H, 2) (Fredericksburg): 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO

Armbruester (Fredericksburg): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO

SCORING:

Mudcats 1st (Mudcats 4, Shorebirds 0) -- Ethan Murray flies out to Colton Cowser. Hedbert Perez strikes out swinging. Tyler Black doubles to left-center field. Ernesto Martinez singles to right-center field, Tyler Black scores. Ernesto Martinez steals 2nd base. Alex Binelas singles to right field, Ernesto Martinez scores; Alex Binelas advances to 2nd on fielding error by John Rhodes. Wes Clarke hits a home run to left field on a 0-0 pitch, Alex Binelas scores. Noah Campbell singles to deep second base. Pitcher Change: Jensen Elliott replaces Cameron Bishop. Micah Bello grounds out, Coby Mayo to Jacob Teter.

(4 Runs, 5 Hits, 1 Errors, 1 LOB)

Shorebirds 3rd (Shorebirds 5, Mudcats 4) -- Mason Janvrin reaches on throwing error by Ethan Murray. Darell Hernaiz grounds out, Alex Binelas to Ernesto Martinez, Mason Janvrin to 2nd. Mason Janvrin steals 3rd base. Connor Norby walks. Colton Cowser singles to right field, Mason Janvrin scores; Connor Norby to 3rd. Jacob Teter reaches on fielding error by Tyler Black, Connor Norby scores; Jacob Teter to 2nd; throwing error by Tyler Black. Coby Mayo pops out to Ernesto Martinez in foul territory. Donta' Williams doubles to right field, Colton Cowser scores; Jacob Teter scores. John Rhodes walks. Pitcher Change: Justin Miller replaces Jeferson Figueroa. Connor Pavolony singles through the hole at shortstop, Donta' Williams scores; John Rhodes to 2nd. Mason Janvrin strikes out swinging.

(5 Runs, 3 Hits, 3 Errors, 2 LOB)

Mudcats 3rd (Shorebirds 5, Mudcats 5) -- Tyler Black grounds out, Connor Norby to Jacob Teter. Ernesto Martinez grounds out, Coby Mayo to Jacob Teter. Alex Binelas hits a ground rule double to left field. Wes Clarke singles to right field, Alex Binelas scores. Noah Campbell grounds out, Darell Hernaiz to Jacob Teter.

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

Shorebirds 5th (Shorebirds 12, Mudcats 5) -- Coby Mayo singles to left-center field. Donta' Williams walks, Coby Mayo to 2nd. John Rhodes walks, Coby Mayo to 3rd; Donta' Williams to 2nd. Connor Pavolony walks, Coby Mayo scores; Donta' Williams to 3rd; John Rhodes to 2nd. Pitcher Change: Miguel Guerrero replaces Justin Miller. Mason Janvrin singles to left-center field, Donta' Williams scores; John Rhodes scores; Connor Pavolony to 2nd. Darell Hernaiz reaches on fielding error by Alex Binelas, Connor Pavolony to 3rd; Mason Janvrin to 2nd. Connor Norby out on a sacrifice fly to Hedbert Perez, Connor Pavolony scores; Mason Janvrin to 3rd; Darell Hernaiz to 2nd. Colton Cowser walks. Jacob Teter singles through the hole at second base, Mason Janvrin scores; Darell Hernaiz to 3rd; Colton Cowser to 2nd. Coby Mayo hit by pitch, Darell Hernaiz scores; Colton Cowser to 3rd; Jacob Teter to 2nd. Donta' Williams singles to center field, Colton Cowser scores; Jacob Teter to 3rd; Coby Mayo to 2nd. John Rhodes strikes out swinging. Connor Pavolony strikes out swinging.

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

Mudcats 5th (Shorebirds 12, Mudcats 9) -- Pitcher Change: Daniel Federman replaces Jensen Elliott. Tyler Black singles to center field. Ernesto Martinez pops out to Coby Mayo. Alex Binelas hits a home run to left-center field on a 3-2 pitch, Tyler Black scores. Wes Clarke grounds out, Daniel Federman to Jacob Teter. Noah Campbell singles to center field. Pitcher Change: Preston Price replaces Daniel Federman. Micah Bello doubles down the left-field line, Noah Campbell to 3rd. Zack Raabe singles to shallow right field, Noah Campbell scores; Micah Bello scores. Ethan Murray pops out to Connor Norby.

(4 Runs, 5 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Shorebirds 6th (Shorebirds 18, Mudcats 9) -- Pitcher Change: Keegan McCarville replaces Miguel Guerrero. Mason Janvrin strikes out swinging. Darell Hernaiz singles to deep shortstop. Connor Norby singles to right-center field, Darell Hernaiz to 3rd. Colton Cowser singles to right field, Darell Hernaiz scores; Connor Norby to 3rd. Connor Norby caught stealing home, Keegan McCarville to Ernesto Martinez to Ethan Murray to Wes Clarke, Colton Cowser to 2nd. Jacob Teter hits a home run to right field on a 3-2 pitch, Colton Cowser scores. Coby Mayo doubles to left-center field. Donta' Williams singles to right-center field, Coby Mayo scores. Pitcher Change: Robbie Baker replaces Keegan McCarville. John Rhodes singles to right field, Donta' Williams to 2nd. Connor Pavolony doubles to left-center field, Donta' Williams scores; John Rhodes scores. Wild pitch by Robbie Baker, Connor Pavolony to 3rd. Mason Janvrin strikes out swinging.

(6 Runs, 8 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)