Frelick Hits Leadoff Homer in 12-11 Loss

Carolina 11 @ Down East 12

August 13, 2021 | Venue : Grainger Stadium | First pitch : 7:01 PM | Att : 2,161 | -

WP: Florencio Serrano (3 - 0) LP: Michele Vassalotti (4 - 6)

KINSTON – Sal Frelick went 3-for-6 with a leadoff home run, a game-tying double in the second, and a go-ahead single in the 10th, but the Mudcats fell in extras as they lost 12-11 to the Wood Ducks in eleven innings on Friday night at Grainger Stadium in Kinston. Felix Valerio went 3-for-5 with a home run and a RBI double for Carolina.

Frelick started the game by hitting Carolina’s first leadoff home run of the season after starting the game with a home run on a 1-1 pitch from starter Mason Englert. The home run was Frelick’s first with the Mudcats (52-35) and was the first of two homers in the inning as Valerio connected on a two-run blast two batters later.

Despite getting the early run support, starter Antoine Kelly struggled with his command and walked five batters before leaving the game with one out in the first. Kelly started the first with three straight walks before giving up a run-scoring hit to Keyber Rodriguez. Kelly also lost a wild pitch to score another Down East run before exiting. Rodriguez went 5-for-6 with four RBI in the game for Down East.

In all, Kelly recorded one out, walked five and was charged with four runs allowed while giving up just one hit. He also reached 33 pitches, but totaled only nine strikes before leaving the game.

Juan Geraldo followed out of the Carolina bullpen and went on to hold the Wood Ducks scoreless over the next two and 2/3 innings. Geraldo also allowed just one of three inherited runners to score and struck out three in his appearance.

Carolina trailed 4-3 after the first, but quickly tied it at 4-4 in the second after Frelick brought in Andre Nnebe with a RBI double. The hit was Frelick’s second of the game and run his streak of consecutive games with at least two hits to three straight.

The ballgame stayed tied at 4-4 until the fourth when the Wood Ducks rallied for three runs against reliever Nate Peden. That inning began with a leadoff triple from Jayce Easley and continued with a RBI single by Daniel Mateo. Rodriguez then collected his second RBI hit of the game and a run-scoring groundout from Cristian Inoa.

The Wood Ducks led 7-4 through the fifth, but Carolina came back with two run runs in the sixth and two runs in the eighth to take an 8-7 lead. Frelick helped force in the two runs in the sixth after reaching on an error, and a RBI double from Noah Campbell scored the go-ahead run in the eighth.

Carolina’s 8-7 lead ended up being short-lived as the Wood Ducks immediately tied the game with a home run from Mateo in the last of the eighth. That home run came off newly added reliver Robbie Baker and was Mateo’s first home run of the season.

Frelick then broke the tie in the 10th after driving in Freddy Zamora from third with a single to left. That hit put Carolina up 9-8 and was Frelick’s third hit of the game. Carolina then took a 10-8 lead in the 10th after Valerio brought in Frelick with his second RBI double of the game.

Kent Hasler entered for Carolina in the tenth and managed to strike out two before giving up a game-tying two-run single to Rodriguez. Hasler also struck out three overall in the tenth, but lost Carolina’s two run lead.

Ashton McGee then started the 11th with a go-ahead RBI double, but the Wood Ducks came back two in the last of 11th while defeating the Mudcats 12-11. Brady Smith had the walk-off single in the 11th off Hasler.

HOME RUNS:

Carolina HR : Frelick (1, 1st inning off Englert, 0 on, 0 out); Valerio, F (6, 1st inning off Englert, 1 on, 0 out).

Down East HR : Mateo (1, 8th inning off Baker, 0 on, 0 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:

Frelick, CF (Carolina): 3-for-6, 2 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBI

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

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

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

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

Rodriguez, K, SS (Down East): 5-for-6, 2 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 4 RBI

Acuna, 2B (Down East): 3-for-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI

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

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:

Geraldo (Carolina): 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO

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

Sechler (Down East): 2.2 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 3 SO

Dotson (Down East): 2.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO

Manon (Down East): 2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 SO

SCORING:

Mudcats 1st (Mudcats 3, Wood Ducks 0) -- Sal Frelick hits a home run to right-center field on a 1-1 pitch. Gabe Holt doubles to left field, Gabe Holt advances to 3rd on fielding error by Daniel Mateo. Felix Valerio hits a home run to left field on a 2-0 pitch, Gabe Holt scores. Noah Campbell grounds out, Keithron Moss to Cristian Inoa. Wes Clarke strikes out swinging. Ashton McGee strikes out swinging.

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

Wood Ducks 1st (Wood Ducks 4, Mudcats 3) -- Jayce Easley walks. Jayce Easley steals 2nd base. Jayce Easley steals 3rd base. Daniel Mateo walks. Daniel Mateo steals 2nd base, Jayce Easley scores; throwing error by Alex Hall. Luisangel Acuna walks. Keyber Rodriguez singles to left-center field, Daniel Mateo scores; Luisangel Acuna to 3rd. Keyber Rodriguez steals 2nd base. Thomas Saggese walks. Cristian Inoa pops out to Gabe Holt on the infield fly rule. Wild pitch by Antoine Kelly, Luisangel Acuna scores; Keyber Rodriguez to 3rd; Thomas Saggese to 2nd. Alejandro Osuna walks. Pitcher Change: Juan Geraldo replaces Antoine Kelly. Randy Florentino out on a sacrifice fly to Sal Frelick, Keyber Rodriguez scores. Thomas Saggese steals 3rd base, Alejandro Osuna steals 2nd base. Keithron Moss walks. Jayce Easley pops out to Felix Valerio.

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

Mudcats 2nd (Mudcats 4, Wood Ducks 4) -- Micah Bello grounds out, Cristian Inoa to Mason Englert. Alex Hall strikes out swinging. Andre Nnebe walks. Andre Nnebe steals 2nd base. Sal Frelick doubles to right-center field, Andre Nnebe scores. Gabe Holt strikes out swinging.

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

Wood Ducks 4th (Wood Ducks 7, Mudcats 4) -- Pitcher Change: Nate Peden replaces Juan Geraldo. Jayce Easley triples to left-center field. Daniel Mateo singles to right-center field, Jayce Easley scores. Daniel Mateo steals 2nd base. Luisangel Acuna struck out looking. Keyber Rodriguez singles up the middle, Daniel Mateo scores. Thomas Saggese doubles to left field, Keyber Rodriguez to 3rd. Cristian Inoa grounds out, Felix Valerio to Ashton McGee, Keyber Rodriguez scores; Thomas Saggese to 3rd. Alejandro Osuna struck out looking.

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

Mudcats 6th (Wood Ducks 7, Mudcats 6) -- Ashton McGee walks. Micah Bello strikes out swinging. Alex Hall hit by pitch, Ashton McGee to 2nd. Andre Nnebe walks, Ashton McGee to 3rd; Alex Hall to 2nd. Sal Frelick grounds into a force out, Keyber Rodriguez to Keithron Moss, Ashton McGee scores; Alex Hall scores; Andre Nnebe out at 2nd, throwing error by Keithron Moss. Gabe Holt walks, Sal Frelick to 2nd. Felix Valerio flies out to Daniel Mateo.

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

Mudcats 8th (Mudcats 8, Wood Ducks 7) -- Andre Nnebe lines out to Keyber Rodriguez. Sal Frelick strikes out swinging. Gabe Holt walks. Felix Valerio walks, Gabe Holt to 2nd. Noah Campbell doubles to left-center field, Gabe Holt scores; Felix Valerio scores. Wes Clarke strikes out swinging.

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

Wood Ducks 8th (Mudcats 8, Wood Ducks 8) -- Pitcher Change: Robbie Baker replaces Nate Peden. Daniel Mateo hits a home run to left-center field on a 1-1 pitch. Luisangel Acuna grounds out, Gabe Holt to Ashton McGee. Keyber Rodriguez grounds out, Felix Valerio to Ashton McGee. Thomas Saggese grounds out, Felix Valerio to Ashton McGee.

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

Mudcats 10th (Mudcats 10, Wood Ducks 8) -- Pitcher Change: Eudrys Manon replaces Destin Dotson. Defensive Substitution: Brady Smith replaces Jose Acosta, batting 8th, playing catcher. Freddy Zamora starts inning at 2nd base. Andre Nnebe grounds out, Keyber Rodriguez to Cristian Inoa, Freddy Zamora to 3rd. Sal Frelick singles to left-center field, Freddy Zamora scores. Wild pitch by Eudrys Manon, Sal Frelick to 2nd. Gabe Holt grounds out, Keyber Rodriguez to Cristian Inoa, Sal Frelick to 3rd. Felix Valerio doubles to left field, Sal Frelick scores. Felix Valerio steals 3rd base. Noah Campbell walks. Noah Campbell steals 2nd base. Wes Clarke flies out to Alejandro Osuna.

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

Wood Ducks 10th (Mudcats 10, Wood Ducks 10) -- Defensive Substitution: Darrien Miller replaces catcher Alex Hall, batting 8th, playing catcher. Pitcher Change: Kent Hasler replaces Robbie Baker. Keithron Moss starts inning at 2nd base. Jayce Easley walks. Daniel Mateo struck out looking. Keithron Moss steals 3rd base, Jayce Easley steals 2nd base. Luisangel Acuna strikes out swinging. Keyber Rodriguez singles to left field, Keithron Moss scores; Jayce Easley scores. Thomas Saggese strikes out swinging.

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

Mudcats 11th (Mudcats 11, Wood Ducks 10) -- Defensive Substitution: Angel Aponte replaces center fielder Daniel Mateo, batting 2nd, playing right field. Defensive switch from right field to center field for Jayce Easley. Michael Wilson starts inning at 2nd base. Ashton McGee doubles to right-center field, Michael Wilson scores. Micah Bello walks. Darrien Miller out on a sacrifice bunt, Thomas Saggese to Cristian Inoa, Ashton McGee to 3rd; Micah Bello to 2nd. Andre Nnebe grounds out, Keyber Rodriguez to Cristian Inoa. Sal Frelick pops out to Keyber Rodriguez.

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

Wood Ducks 11th (Wood Ducks 12, Mudcats 11) -- Thomas Saggese starts inning at 2nd base. Cristian Inoa doubles to left field, Thomas Saggese scores. Alejandro Osuna strikes out swinging. Offensive Substitution: Pinch runner Yenci Pena replaces Cristian Inoa on a 1-0 count. Brady Smith singles to right-center field, Yenci Pena scores.

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