House and FredNats Walk Off Mudcats 7-6

FREDERICKSBURG – Micah Bello and Alberis Ferrer both hit two-run home runs, but Fredericksburg’s Brady House came through with a walk-off single in the ninth as the Fredericksburg Nationals came back to defeat the Carolina Mudcats 7-6 on Thursday night at Virginia Credit Union Stadium. Reliever Trevor Tietz walked three and allowed House’s game-winning hit in the final frame while suffering a blown save.

The Mudcats (4-2) originally led 2-0 early after Arbert Cipion drove in the first runs of the game with a two-run single in the second. Bello then followed with his two-run blast in the third making it 4-0. The FredNats (4-2) answered with a T.J. White home run in the fifth and scored twice more in the sixth while cutting the lead down to 4-3 against the Mudcats and starter Ryne Moore. Ferrer later extended the Carolina lead to 6-3 in the seventh after connecting on his first home run of the season. Fredericksburg, however, kept their late magic rolling with two more runs in the seventh before getting House’s walk-off in the ninth to win it 7-6.

While Moore started, it was Tietz (0-1,18.00)(BS, 1) who ended up with the decision and loss. He faced five batters in the ninth and walked three straight before having to pitch to House and seeing the game end on a two-run, walk-off single to right. Before Tietz, reliever Christian Tripp gave the Mudcats two scoreless innings over the seventh and eighth. Moore, meanwhile, started and pitched into the seventh while finishing with five strikeouts over six plus innings. Moore also allowed three earned runs (five total) over his six innings and earned his first quality start.

Reliever Jose Ferrer earned the win for the Nationals after working the final two frames without allowing a run. Ferrer (1-0, 0.00) also struck out two and faced just six batters. The three other FredNats’ pitchers, including starter Brendan Collins and relievers Bryan Pena and Riggs Threadgill, each allowed two Carolina runs. Collins gave up Cipion’s two-run single in the second, Pena allowed Bello’s home run in the third, and Ferrer then hit his home run in the seventh.

HOME RUNS:

Carolina: Bello (1, 3rd inning off Peña, B, 1 on, 2 out); Ferrer (1, 7th inning off Threadgill, 1 on, 2 out)

Fredericksburg: White (1, 5th inning off Moore, 0 on, 2 out)

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:

Bello, LF (Carolina): 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI

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

Cipion, CF (Carolina): 1-for-3, 2 RBI

Mendez, RF (Carolina): 2-for-3, 2 R

House, DH (Fredericksburg): 1-for-4, 2 RBI

White, LF (Fredericksburg): 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:

Moore (Carolina): 6 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO

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

Ferrer (W, 1-0) (Fredericksburg): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO

Peña, B (Fredericksburg): 3.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO

SCORING:

Mudcats 2nd (Mudcats 2, Nationals 0) -- Hendry Mendez walks. Alberis Ferrer walks, Hendry Mendez to 2nd. Micah Bello singles to left-center field, Hendry Mendez to 3rd; Alberis Ferrer to 2nd. Arbert Cipion singles through the hole at shortstop, Hendry Mendez scores; Alberis Ferrer scores; Micah Bello to 2nd. Jose Sibrian flies out to Jacob Young. Luis Silva flies out to Jacob Young, Micah Bello to 3rd. Arbert Cipion steals 2nd base. Eduardo Garcia walks. Pitcher Change: Bryan Pena replaces Brendan Collins. Oswel Leones struck out looking.

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

Mudcats 3rd (Mudcats 4, Nationals 0) -- Jheremy Vargas flies out to Jacob Young. Hendry Mendez singles to deep shortstop. Alberis Ferrer walks, Hendry Mendez to 2nd. Hendry Mendez caught stealing 3rd base, Geraldi Diaz to Viandel Pena to Sammy Infante. Micah Bello hits a home run to left field on a 0-0 pitch, Alberis Ferrer scores. Arbert Cipion walks. Jose Sibrian pops out to Yoander Rivero.

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

Nationals 5th (Mudcats 4, Nationals 1) -- Geraldi Diaz grounds out, Jheremy Vargas to Luis Silva. Sammy Infante pops out to Eduardo Garcia. T.J. White hits a home run to center field on a 2-1 pitch. Yoander Rivero grounds out, Jheremy Vargas to Luis Silva.

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

Nationals 6th (Mudcats 4, Nationals 3) -- Jacob Young triples through the hole at second base. Viandel Pena singles to deep second base, Jacob Young scores. Brady House grounds out, Alberis Ferrer to Luis Silva, Viandel Pena to 2nd. Wild pitch by Ryne Moore, Viandel Pena to 3rd. Passed ball by Jose Sibrian, Viandel Pena scores. Branden Boissiere walks. Andry Arias grounds into double play, Alberis Ferrer to Eduardo Garcia to Luis Silva, Branden Boissiere out at 2nd, Andry Arias out at 1st.

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

Mudcats 7th (Mudcats 6, Nationals 3) -- Oswel Leones grounds out, Yoander Rivero to Branden Boissiere. Jheremy Vargas grounds out, Sammy Infante to Branden Boissiere. Hendry Mendez singles through the hole at second base. Alberis Ferrer hits a home run to left field on a 1-0 pitch, Hendry Mendez scores. Micah Bello pops out to Branden Boissiere.

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

Nationals 7th (Mudcats 6, Nationals 5) -- Geraldi Diaz hit by pitch. Wild pitch by Ryne Moore, Geraldi Diaz to 2nd. Sammy Infante singles through the hole at second base, Geraldi Diaz scores. Pitcher Change: Christian Tripp replaces Ryne Moore. T.J. White singles through the hole at second base, Sammy Infante to 3rd. Yoander Rivero strikes out swinging. Jacob Young flies out to Arbert Cipion, Sammy Infante scores; T.J. White to 2nd; throwing error by Arbert Cipion. Viandel Pena pops out to Alberis Ferrer in foul territory.

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

Nationals 9th (Nationals 7, Mudcats 6) -- Pitcher Change: Trevor Tietz replaces Christian Tripp. T.J. White strikes out on foul tip. Yoander Rivero walks. Jacob Young walks, Yoander Rivero to 2nd. Viandel Pena walks, Yoander Rivero to 3rd; Jacob Young to 2nd.

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