Leones Lifts Mudcats to 5-4 Comeback Victory

Augusta 4 @ Carolina 5

May 06, 2022 | Venue : Five County Stadium | First pitch : 7:18 PM | Att : 1,639 | T : 2:30 (2:08 delay)

AUG: 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 9 3

CAR: 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 2 x 5 7 0

WP: Michele Vassalotti (4 - 0) LP: Peyton Williams (0 - 2) SV: Christian Tripp (2)

LISTEN: Post-Game Interview with Manager Victor Estevez

ZEBULON – Oswal Leones hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth, Jackson Chourio went 3-for-3 with two doubles, Pablo Garabitos pitched through three and 1/3 scoreless relief innings and Michele Vasaslotti earned his fourth win of the season as the Carolina Mudcats battled through two hours and eight minutes of rain and power outage delays to defeat the Augusta GreenJackets 5-4 on Friday night at Five County Stadium.

The Mudcats (14-11) fell behind almost immediately as the GreenJackets (13-12) rallied for three runs in the first off starter Alexander Cornielle before knocking him out of the game. Cornielle reached 35 pitches in the first and was forced to leave. Garabitos followed and went on to hold the GreenJackets scoreless from the end of the first through the fourth.

While Garabitos kept the GreenJackets scoreless, the Mudcats came back with a run in the fourth and in the fifth to cut it to 3-2. Chourio singled and scored in the fourth for Carolina’s first run. He then doubled in Luis Silva in the fifth for Carolina’s second run of the game.

With Augusta leading 3-2, the game then entered a rain delay after the fifth. It then resumed nearly two hours later with each side scoring a run in the sixth. Brandon Parker brought in Augusta’s sixth inning run with a single off Vassalotti (4-0). Carolina’s run was unearned and came against reliever James Acuna.

Vassalotti entered in the sixth in place of Karlos Morales after he had worked a scoreless fifth. Vassalotti ended up working around the lone Augusta sixth-inning run while giving the Mudcats three solid innings in relief. He also pitched around a power outage that delayed the game for almost 15 minutes during the top of the eighth inning.

It was a 4-3 Augusta lead going into the eighth before Leones delivered his go-ahead and eventual game-winning home run. The home run was Leones’ first since his 2018 season in the Dominican Summer League.

Reliever Peyton Williams allowed Leones’ home run and took the loss. Williams (0-2) appeared in place of fellow reliever Miguel Pena after he left the game immediately with an apparent injury after walking Vargas to start the Carolina eighth.

Tripp (S, 2) then worked a scoreless ninth while sealing the Carolina victory.

The Mudcats took a 3-1 lead in the six-game series with Friday’s comeback victory.

HOME RUNS:

Augusta: Zebrowski (2, 1st inning off Cornielle, 1 on, 1 out).

Carolina: Leones (1, 8th inning off Williams, 1 on, 1 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:

Chourio, CF (Carolina): 3-for-3, 1 R, 2 2B, 1 RBI

Leones, DH (Carolina): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Silva, 1B (Carolina): 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B

Vargas, 2B (Carolina): 1-for-2, 2 R, 1 RBI

Mezquita, RF (Augusta): 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 RBI

Zebrowski, C (Augusta): 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Quintero, 3B (Augusta): 1-for-5, 1 R, 1 2B

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:

Garabitos (Carolina): 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO

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

Vassalotti (W, 4-0) (Carolina): 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO

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

Perez (Augusta): 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO

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

SCORING:

GreenJackets 1st (GreenJackets 3, Mudcats 0) -- Geraldo Quintero doubles to right field. Cal Conley flies out to Hedbert Perez. Brandol Mezquita singles to right field, Geraldo Quintero scores. Adam Zebrowski hits a home run to left-center field on a 0-2 pitch, Brandol Mezquita scores. Brandon Parker strikes out swinging. Mahki Backstrom walks. Mahki Backstrom steals 2nd base. Braulio Vasquez hit by pitch. Pitcher Change: Pablo Garabitos replaces Alexander Cornielle. Kadon Morton strikes out swinging.

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

Mudcats 4th (GreenJackets 3, Mudcats 1) -- Jackson Chourio singles to left-center field. Wild pitch by Jordano Perez, Jackson Chourio to 2nd. Hendry Mendez walks. Hedbert Perez strikes out swinging. Jheremy Vargas singles to left-center field, Jackson Chourio scores; Hendry Mendez to 2nd. Alberis Ferrer strikes out swinging. Oswel Leones grounds out, Mahki Backstrom to Jordano Perez.

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

Mudcats 5th (GreenJackets 3, Mudcats 2) -- Jose Sibrian grounds out, Cal Conley to Mahki Backstrom. Luis Silva reaches on throwing error by Cal Conley, Luis Silva to 2nd. Eduardo Garcia grounds out, Jordano Perez to Mahki Backstrom. Jackson Chourio doubles to left field, Luis Silva scores. Hendry Mendez grounds out, Jordano Perez to Mahki Backstrom.

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

GreenJackets 6th (GreenJackets 4, Mudcats 2) -- Pitcher Change: Michele Vassalotti replaces Karlos Morales. Adam Zebrowski triples to right-center field. Brandon Parker singles to right-center field, Adam Zebrowski scores. Mahki Backstrom strikes out swinging. Braulio Vasquez singles to right field, Brandon Parker to 2nd. Kadon Morton strikes out swinging. Brian Klein grounds out, Michele Vassalotti to Luis Silva.

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

Mudcats 6th (GreenJackets 4, Mudcats 3) -- Pitcher Change: James Acuna replaces Jordano Perez. Hedbert Perez flies out to Brandon Parker. Jheremy Vargas hit by pitch. Alberis Ferrer flies out to Kadon Morton. Throwing error by James Acuna on the pickoff attempt. Oswel Leones reaches on throwing error by James Acuna, Jheremy Vargas scores. Jose Sibrian pops out to Mahki Backstrom in foul territory.

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

Mudcats 8th (Mudcats 5, GreenJackets 4) -- Pitcher Change: Miguel Pena replaces James Acuna. Jheremy Vargas walks. Pitcher Change: Peyton Williams replaces Miguel Pena. Alberis Ferrer grounds out, Cal Conley to Mahki Backstrom, Jheremy Vargas to 2nd. Oswel Leones hits a home run to right field on a 1-1 pitch, Jheremy Vargas scores. Jose Sibrian grounds out, Cal Conley to Mahki Backstrom. Luis Silva strikes out swinging.

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