First Place Mudcats Split Twin-Bill at Down East
KINSTON – Jhoan Cruz turned in a quality start, Zavier Warren had a game-tying RBI triple and Cam Robinson earned his fourth save while leading the Mudcats to a 2-1 victory in game one, but two costly errors from Daniel Castillo and four wild pitches lost by Kent Hasler in
KINSTON – Jhoan Cruz turned in a quality start, Zavier Warren had a game-tying RBI triple and Cam Robinson earned his fourth save while leading the Mudcats to a 2-1 victory in game one, but two costly errors from Daniel Castillo and four wild pitches lost by Kent Hasler in the seventh handed the Wood Ducks a 4-3 victory in game two as the two teams finished with a split in Thursday’s doubleheader at Grainger Stadium.
Carolina (27-16) saw its winning streak come to an end at five straight (one short of a season high) after falling in game two. The Wood Ducks (25-19) did not record a run scoring hit while escaping with the game two victory and salvaging a split in the twin-bill.
The doubleheader shortened, seven-inning game was scoreless through five before Thomas Saggese led off the sixth with a home run to put Down East up 1-0. The home run was Saggese’s second of the year, with both coming against the Mudcats.
That 1-0 Down East lead ended up short-lived as the Mudcats came right back with a game-tying RBI triple from Warren and a go-ahead RBI single from Darrien Miller in the seventh. Warren’s triple scored Felix Valerio after he had started the inning with a walk. Miller’s eventual game-winner brought in Warren with third and came with two outs in the inning.
Both Carolina runs were allowed by Down East reliever Spencer Mraz after he entered the game in the seventh. Mraz (2-2, 5.29) ended up with the loss and his third blown save while finishing with two runs, two hits, two walks and two strikeouts.
Cruz (3-4, 7.58) allowed only the Sagesse home run in his quality outing and earned his first win since May 28. Cruz struck out six, scattered five hits and did not issue a walk while turning in his second quality start of the season. Down East starter Wyatt Sparks worked six scoreless frames and struck out five while finishing without a decision.
Cam Robinson later worked the seventh and final inning and retired three straight while earning his fourth save.
Warren finished game one going 1-for-2 with a run, a triple and a RBI. The triple was his second of the season and ran his hitting streak to six straight games. He later went 2-for-4 in game two while extending his steak to seven straight and raising his season average to .278.
Game two began with both teams scoring runs in the first before Down East took a 2-1 lead in the third. It stayed 2-1 until Carolina scored twice in the sixth while taking a 3-2 lead, but four wild pitches from reliever Kent Hasler and a throwing error by Daniel Castillo in the ninth led to two final Down East runs as the Wood Ducks took game two 4-3.
The Down East seventh began with Cabello reaching on an error before advancing to second on a wild pitch. Hasler (0-1, 5.59) then walked Dustin Harris while also losing another wild pitch, thus putting Cabello at third and Harris at second. Hasler then uncorked another wild pitch to score Cabello and allow Harris to third. One last wild pitch then brought in Harris as the Wood Ducks walked off in game two.
Felix Valerio singled started game two with a single and went on to move to third on a single from Ashton McGee before scoring on a sac fly from Gray. That RBI brought Gray's season total to a Low-A East best 47 on the year.
Luisangel Acuna singled and scored on a ground out in the first to tie the game and Antonio Cabello walked and scored on a fielding error in the third.
Carolina's two runs sixth included a run-scoring hit by pitch with the bases loaded by Castillo and a run scoring walk from Valerio.
Miguel Guerrero started for Carolina and allowed just one earned run and two total over four innings in what was his first start of the season. He also walked three and struck out two. Releiver Juan Geraldo followed and turned in an inning and 1/3 scoreless with a walk and a strikeout. Hasler followed in the sixth and allowed two runs (one earned) on three walks and four wild pitches.
The loss snapped Carolina's win streak at five straight games and lifted the Wood Ducks to 3.5 games back of first behind the Mudcats in the Low-A East Central standings.
The series will continue on Friday night at Down East. Carolina leads the series two games to one.
GAME ONE
Carolina 2 @ Down East 1
June 24, 2021 | Venue : Grainger Stadium | First pitch : 4:30 PM | | T : 1:48
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Carolina
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
4
1
Down East
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
5
0
WP: Jhoan Cruz (3 - 4) LP: Spencer Mraz (2 - 2) SV: Cam Robinson (4)
HOME RUNS:
Down East HR : Saggese (2, 6th inning off Cruz, Jh, 0 on, 0 out).
TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:
Warren, 3B (Carolina): 1-for-2, 1 R, 0 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI
Miller, C (Carolina): 1-for-3, 0 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI
Zamora, SS (Carolina): 1-for-3, 0 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI
Gray Jr., CF (Carolina): 1-for-3, 0 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI
Saggese, 2B (Down East): 1-for-2, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Easley, CF (Down East): 1-for-3, 0 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI
Acuna, SS (Down East): 1-for-3, 0 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI
Harris, 1B (Down East): 1-for-3, 0 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI
TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:
Cruz, Jh (W, 3-4) (Carolina): 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 SO
Robinson (S, 4) (Carolina): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO
Sparks (Down East): 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO
SCORING PLAYS:
Wood Ducks 6th (Wood Ducks 1, Mudcats 0) -- Thomas Saggese hits a home run to left field on a 1-2 pitch. Jayce Easley strikes out swinging. Luisangel Acuna singles to deep shortstop. Throwing error by Jhoan Cruz on the pickoff attempt. Dustin Harris struck out looking. Keyber Rodriguez grounds out, Zavier Warren to Noah Campbell.
(1 Runs, 2 Hits, 1 Errors, 1 LOB)
Mudcats 7th (Mudcats 2, Wood Ducks 1) -- Pitcher Change: Spencer Mraz replaces Wyatt Sparks. Felix Valerio walks. Wild pitch by Spencer Mraz, Felix Valerio to 2nd. Zavier Warren triples to center field, Felix Valerio scores. Noah Campbell strikes out swinging. Joey Wiemer strikes out swinging. Darrien Miller singles to left field, Zavier Warren scores. Michael Wilson walks, Darrien Miller to 2nd. Gabe Holt grounds out, Thomas Saggese to Dustin Harris.
(2 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)
GAME TWO
Carolina 3 @ Down East 4
June 24, 2021 | Venue : Grainger Stadium | First pitch : 6:53 PM | Att : 1,648 | T : 2:36
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Carolina
1
0
0
0
0
2
0
3
9
2
Down East
1
0
1
0
0
0
2
4
3
1
WP: John Matthews (2 - 2) LP: Kent Hasler (0 - 1)
*
TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:*
Warren, DH (Carolina): 2-for-4, 0 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI
Martinez, E, 1B (Carolina): 1-for-3, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI
Wiemer, RF (Carolina): 2-for-4, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI
Acuna, SS (Down East): 1-for-3, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI
Saggese, 2B (Down East): 1-for-2, 0 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI
Cabello, RF (Down East): 0-for-2, 2 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI
TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:
Guerrero (Carolina): 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO
Geraldo (Carolina): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO
Mendoza, A (Down East): 5 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO
SCORING PLAYS:
Mudcats 1st (Mudcats 1, Wood Ducks 0) -- Felix Valerio singles through the hole at second base. Ashton McGee singles to left-center field, Felix Valerio to 3rd. Joe Gray Jr. out on a sacrifice fly to Alejandro Osuna, Felix Valerio scores. Zavier Warren singles to left field, Ashton McGee to 2nd. Ernesto Martinez strikes out swinging. Joey Wiemer pops out to Randy Florentino in foul territory.
(1 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)
Wood Ducks 1st (Mudcats 1, Wood Ducks 1) -- Luisangel Acuna singles up the middle. Wild pitch by Miguel Guerrero, Luisangel Acuna to 2nd. Dustin Harris grounds out, Felix Valerio to Ernesto Martinez, Luisangel Acuna to 3rd. Cody Freeman grounds out, Daniel Castillo to Ernesto Martinez, Luisangel Acuna scores. Alejandro Osuna flies out to Andre Nnebe.
(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)
Wood Ducks 3rd (Wood Ducks 2, Mudcats 1) -- Antonio Cabello walks. Luisangel Acuna walks, Antonio Cabello to 2nd. Dustin Harris pops out to Daniel Castillo on the infield fly rule. Cody Freeman reaches on fielding error by Daniel Castillo, Antonio Cabello scores; Luisangel Acuna to 3rd. Alejandro Osuna grounds into double play, Felix Valerio to Daniel Castillo to Ernesto Martinez, Cody Freeman out at 2nd, Alejandro Osuna out at 1st.
(1 Runs, 0 Hits, 1 Errors, 1 LOB)
Mudcats 6th (Mudcats 3, Wood Ducks 2) -- Pitcher Change: John Matthews replaces Abdiel Mendoza. Zavier Warren flies out to Antonio Cabello. Ernesto Martinez singles to right field. Joey Wiemer singles to right-center field, Ernesto Martinez to 3rd. Joey Wiemer steals 2nd base. Alex Hall walks. Daniel Castillo hit by pitch, Ernesto Martinez scores; Joey Wiemer to 3rd; Alex Hall to 2nd. Andre Nnebe struck out looking. Felix Valerio walks, Joey Wiemer scores; Alex Hall to 3rd; Daniel Castillo to 2nd. Ashton McGee strikes out swinging.
(2 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 3 LOB)
Wood Ducks 7th (Wood Ducks 4, Mudcats 3) -- Antonio Cabello reaches on throwing error by Daniel Castillo. Luisangel Acuna strikes out swinging, Antonio Cabello to 2nd;wild pitch by Kent Hasler. Dustin Harris walks. Wild pitch by Kent Hasler, Antonio Cabello to 3rd; Dustin Harris to 2nd. Wild pitch by Kent Hasler, Antonio Cabello scores; Dustin Harris to 3rd. Cody Freeman walks, Dustin Harris scores;wild pitch by Kent Hasler.
(2 Runs, 0 Hits, 1 Errors, 1 LOB)