First Place Mudcats Sweep GreenJackets

Augusta 7 @ Carolina 15

August 22, 2021 | Venue : Five County Stadium | First pitch : 1:04 PM | Att : 1,220 | T : 3:30

AUG: 0 0 0 0 5 0 1 0 1 7 8 1

CAR: 0 2 0 0 0 2 5 6 x 15 14 3

WP: Robbie Baker (1 - 0) LP: Malcolm Van Buren (1 - 3) SV: James Meeker (2)

LISTEN: Post-Game Interview with Manager Joe Ayrault

ZEBULON – Ashton McGee hit his second grand slam of the season, Wes Clarke hit a two-run home run in the sixth, Micah Bello had three hits, Freddy Zamora scored three runs and the Mudcats walked seven times during a five run seventh while finishing off a sweep of the visiting Augusta GreenJackets with a 15-7 victory on Sunday afternoon at Five County Stadium.

The sweep was Carolina’s third of the season as they additionally swept Kannapolis once in late May and again in mid-July. The home victory was also the eleventh straight for the Mudcats (59-37) at Five County Stadium going back to the previous home stand in early August. The current six-game win streak matches Carolina’s longest such streak of the season.

The Mudcats originally led 2-0 after getting run scoring hits from Micah Bello and Darrien Miller early in the game in the second. That lead, however, disappeared in the fifth when the GreenJackets (40-56) rallied for five runs and three hits to take a 5-2 lead. The Mudcats then went on to score 13 runs over the next three innings while running away with the final game of the series 15-7.

Wes Clarke started Carolina’s rebound in the game with a two-run home run in the sixth. It was his second of the season and cut the Augusta lead to 5-4. The Mudcats then went on to tie and take the lead in the seventh after rallying for five runs during a one hit and seven walk inning.

Bello started the seventh with a single and Darrien Miller would follow with a walk that knocked reliever Austin Smith out of the game. Malcolm Van Buren then entered for Augusta and managed to get Andre Nnebe on strikes to start his appearance. Van Buren (1-3, 18.00) would not, however, record another out as he went on to walk four straight after the strikeout before leaving the game. James Acuna also walked two straight when he took over for Van Buren, giving the Mudcats six consecutive walks in the inning. Four of those ended up forcing in runs, and in all, the Mudcats scored five runs on just one hit and seven walks in the seventh while taking a 9-6 lead.

Carolina had walked just once in the game through the first six innings before walking seven times in the seventh and two more times in the eighth. In all, the Mudcats totaled 11 walks in the game, with six turning directly into runs. Four of the 11 also drove in runs as they came with the bases loaded in the seventh.

Carolina’s 9-6 lead quickly ballooned to 15-6 in the eighth after they added on six more runs against Acuna. Zamora drove in the first run by hitting into a fielder’s choice just moments before Alex Binelas drove in another run with a double off the right-centerfield wall. McGee then capped the scoring with a grand slam down the rightfield line to make the eighth a six-run frame.

McGee’s grand slam was his second of the year and his tenth home run overall. The grand slam also accounted for four of his five RBI on the day, giving him 54 RBI for the season. The grand slam also stretched Carolina’s franchise record for grand slams in a season to eight.

Robbie Baker (1-0, 5.14) earned the win after allowing just one run and one hit over the sixth and seventh innings. James Meeker pitched the eighth and ninth while earning his second save. Meeker (S, 2) struck out three and allowed an unearned run while closing the game. He was recently signed out of the Frontier League by Milwaukee and had brought a 34.0 consecutive scoreless innings streak (all in independent league play) to his time with the Mudcats.

HOME RUNS:

Augusta: Conley (2, 5th inning off Vassalotti, 0 on, 1 out).

Carolina: Clarke, W (2, 6th inning off Smith, 1 on, 1 out); McGee (10, 8th inning off Acuna, 3 on, 0 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:

McGee, 1B (Carolina): 1-for-4, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Carter, RF (Augusta): 2-for-3, 2 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:

Vassalotti (Carolina): 4.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 6 BB, 6 SO

Baker (W, 1-0) (Carolina): 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO

Meeker (S, 2) (Carolina): 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO

Dodd (Augusta): 3 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO

Spain (Augusta): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO

Santos, L (Augusta): 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO

SCORING:

Mudcats 2nd (Mudcats 2, GreenJackets 0) -- Wes Clarke singles to center field. Ashton McGee grounds into double play, Braulio Vasquez to Cal Conley to Bryson Horne, Wes Clarke out at 2nd, Ashton McGee out at 1st. Noah Campbell singles to left-center field. Micah Bello doubles to right-center field, Noah Campbell scores. Darrien Miller singles up the middle, Micah Bello scores. Andre Nnebe strikes out swinging.

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

GreenJackets 5th (GreenJackets 5, Mudcats 2) -- Tyler Tolve lines out to Ethan Murray. Cal Conley hits a home run to right field on a 1-0 pitch. Vaughn Grissom triples to left-center field. Justyn-Henry Malloy walks. Pitcher Change: Keegan McCarville replaces Michele Vassalotti. Justyn-Henry Malloy steals 2nd base. Cade Bunnell walks. Landon Stephens struck out looking. Willie Carter walks, Vaughn Grissom scores; Justyn-Henry Malloy to 3rd; Cade Bunnell to 2nd. Christian Robinson triples to right-center field, Justyn-Henry Malloy scores; Cade Bunnell scores; Willie Carter scores. Braulio Vasquez struck out looking.

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

Mudcats 6th (GreenJackets 5, Mudcats 4) -- Pitcher Change: Austin Smith replaces Dylan Spain. Freddy Zamora doubles to left field. Alex Binelas struck out looking. Wes Clarke hits a home run to left-center field on a 3-0 pitch, Freddy Zamora scores. Ashton McGee flies out to Christian Robinson. Noah Campbell grounds out, Braulio Vasquez to Cade Bunnell.

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

GreenJackets 7th (GreenJackets 6, Mudcats 4) -- Cade Bunnell strikes out swinging. Landon Stephens walks. Willie Carter singles through the hole at second base, Landon Stephens to 3rd. Willie Carter steals 2nd base. Christian Robinson grounds out to Ashton McGee, Landon Stephens scores; Willie Carter to 3rd. Braulio Vasquez strikes out swinging.

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

Mudcats 7th (Mudcats 9, GreenJackets 6) -- Micah Bello singles through the hole at shortstop. Darrien Miller walks, Micah Bello to 2nd. Pitcher Change: Malcolm Van Buren replaces Austin Smith. Andre Nnebe struck out looking. Ethan Murray walks, Micah Bello to 3rd; Darrien Miller to 2nd. Wild pitch by Malcolm Van Buren, Micah Bello scores; Darrien Miller to 3rd; Ethan Murray to 2nd. Freddy Zamora walks. Alex Binelas walks, Darrien Miller scores; Ethan Murray to 3rd; Freddy Zamora to 2nd. Wes Clarke walks, Ethan Murray scores; Freddy Zamora to 3rd; Alex Binelas to 2nd. Pitcher Change: James Acuna replaces Malcolm Van Buren. Ashton McGee walks, Freddy Zamora scores; Alex Binelas to 3rd; Wes Clarke to 2nd. Noah Campbell walks, Alex Binelas scores; Wes Clarke to 3rd; Ashton McGee to 2nd. Micah Bello strikes out swinging. Darrien Miller grounds out, Cade Bunnell to James Acuna.

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

Mudcats 8th (Mudcats 15, GreenJackets 6) -- Andre Nnebe singles to center field. Andre Nnebe steals 2nd base. throwing error by Tyler Tolve. Ethan Murray walks. Freddy Zamora reaches on a fielder's choice, fielded by Justyn-Henry Malloy, Andre Nnebe scores; Ethan Murray to 2nd. Alex Binelas doubles to right-center field, Ethan Murray scores; Freddy Zamora to 3rd. Wes Clarke walks. Ashton McGee hits a grand slam down the right-field line on a 2-0 pitch, Freddy Zamora scores; Alex Binelas scores; Wes Clarke scores. Pitcher Change: Lisandro Santos replaces James Acuna. Noah Campbell grounds out, Cal Conley to Cade Bunnell. Micah Bello singles to right-center field. Darrien Miller walks, Micah Bello to 2nd. Andre Nnebe singles to right-center field, Micah Bello to 3rd; Darrien Miller to 2nd. Ethan Murray strikes out swinging. Freddy Zamora pops out to Braulio Vasquez.

(6 Runs, 5 Hits, 1 Errors, 3 LOB)

GreenJackets 9th (Mudcats 15, GreenJackets 7) -- Willie Carter singles to deep shortstop, Willie Carter advances to 2nd on throwing error by Freddy Zamora. Christian Robinson grounds out, Ethan Murray to Ashton McGee, Willie Carter to 3rd. Braulio Vasquez grounds out, Freddy Zamora to Ashton McGee, Willie Carter scores. Tyler Tolve lines out to Freddy Zamora.

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