Mendez and Brown Homer in 10-5 Victory

Fayetteville 5 @ Carolina 10
August 18, 2022 | Venue : Five County Stadium | First pitch : 7:00 PM | Att : 2,006 | T : 2:36

FAY: 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 5 7 2
CAR: 2 0 2 1 0 0 1 4 x 10 13 1

WP: Jeison Pena (3 - 0) LP: Bryant Salgado (6 - 7) SV: Leoni De La Cruz (1)

ZEBULON – Hendry Mendez went 3-for-5 with a go-ahead home run in the seventh, Eric Brown Jr. hit a game-tying home run in the third and relievers Jeison Pena and Leoni De La Cruz combined on four scoreless innings as the Carolina Mudcats, playing as the Micro Brews, won their third straight game 10-5 versus the Fayetteville Woodpeckers on Thursday night at Five County Stadium.

The Woodpeckers (16-29, 47-63) initially led 4-0 after rallying for four runs and three hits off starter Edwin Jimenez in the first, but Carolina (24-21, 58-53) quickly answered in their half of the first with consecutive two-out RBI singles from Jace Avina and Eduarqui Fernandez. Brown then tied the game with his two-run home run in the third as Carolina rallied back to make it 4-4.

Carolina later went on to take a brief 5-4 lead in the fourth after Mendez reached on a single and error while helping Jose Sibrian score from second, but Zach Denzenzo homered for Fayetteville to tie again at 5-5. Mendez then struck again in the seventh with a home run that gave Carolina the lead for good. They then capped the victory with four more runs in the eighth on RBI singles from Zach Raabe, Branlyn Herrera and Mendez.

Mendez led the way going 3-for-5 with two runs, his fifth home run of the season and three RBI. Brown also homered and went 1-for-4 with his second home run with the Mudcats, and his first at Five County Stadium. Finally, Raabe went 1-for-4 with a RBI single on what was his 23rd birthday.

Carolina’s relievers Pena (3-0) and De La Cruz (S, 1) earned the win and save respectively. Pena struck out four over two scoreless in relief of Jimenez. He also walked three, but saw two of those base on balls turn into caught steals with Sibrian throwing out two runners. De La Cruz then finished it with a scoreless eighth and ninth where he struck out three of seven faced.

Jimenez started and allowed five runs, including four in the first and one in the fifth before leaving the game. He gave the Mudcats five full innings and reached 86 pitches while limiting the damage after the big Fayetteville first inning.

The victory was Carolina’s third straight and gave them a 3-0 lead in the series. It also lifted the Mudcats to 4.5 games back of the Carolina League North leading Fredericksburg Nationals with 21 games remaining.

HOME RUNS:
Fayetteville: Dezenzo (4, 5th inning off Jimenez, 0 on, 0 out).

Carolina: Brown Jr. (2, 3rd inning off Calderon, 1 on, 0 out); Mendez (5, 7th inning off Salgado, 0 on, 1 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:
Mendez, RF (Carolina): 3-for-5, 2 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Brown Jr., DH (Carolina): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Chirinos, 1B (Carolina): 2-for-4, 2 R
Avina, LF (Carolina): 2-for-4, 0 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Raabe, 2B (Carolina): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI
Dezenzo, 2B (Fayetteville): 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Alvarez, J, C (Fayetteville): 2-for-3, 1 R, 2 RBI
Cole Jr., RF (Fayetteville): 1-for-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Wrobleski, LF (Fayetteville): 1-for-3, 1 2B, 1 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:
Pena, Je (W, 3-0) (Carolina): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO
De La Cruz (S, 1) (Carolina): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO

SCORING:
Woodpeckers 1st (Woodpeckers 4, Mudcats 0) -- Tommy Sacco Jr. grounds out, Zack Raabe to Jesus Chirinos. Jacob Melton singles to right field. Jacob Melton steals 2nd base. Zach Dezenzo walks. Tyler Whitaker hit by pitch, Jacob Melton to 3rd; Zach Dezenzo to 2nd. Jose Alvarez singles to right field, Jacob Melton scores; Zach Dezenzo scores; Tyler Whitaker to 2nd. Zach Cole Jr. doubles to right field, Tyler Whitaker scores; Jose Alvarez to 3rd. Ryan Wrobleski out on a sacrifice fly to Eduarqui Fernandez, Jose Alvarez scores; Zach Cole Jr. to 3rd. Garrett McGowan grounds out, Branlyn Jaraba to Jesus Chirinos.
(4 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Mudcats 1st (Woodpeckers 4, Mudcats 2) -- Hendry Mendez reaches on throwing error by Carlos Calderon. Robert Moore singles to right field, Hendry Mendez to 2nd. Eric Brown Jr. strikes out swinging. Jesus Chirinos grounds into a force out, Tommy Sacco Jr. to Zach Dezenzo, Hendry Mendez to 3rd; Robert Moore out at 2nd. Jace Avina singles to right-center field, Hendry Mendez scores; Jesus Chirinos to 3rd. Eduarqui Fernandez singles to left field, Jesus Chirinos scores; Jace Avina to 2nd. Zack Raabe flies out to Jacob Melton.
(2 Runs, 3 Hits, 1 Errors, 2 LOB)

Mudcats 3rd (Woodpeckers 4, Mudcats 4) -- Robert Moore walks. Eric Brown Jr. hits a home run down the left-field line on a 1-0 pitch, Robert Moore scores. Jesus Chirinos singles to left field. Jace Avina strikes out swinging. Jesus Chirinos out at 2nd, Jose Alvarez to Zach Dezenzo. Eduarqui Fernandez lines out to Tommy Sacco Jr.
(2 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)

Mudcats 4th (Mudcats 5, Woodpeckers 4) -- Zack Raabe grounds out, Tommy Sacco Jr. to Garrett McGowan. Branlyn Jaraba strikes out swinging. Jose Sibrian doubles to left-center field. Hendry Mendez singles to deep second base, Jose Sibrian scores; throwing error by Zach Dezenzo. Jose Alvarez picks off Hendry Mendez at on throw to Garrett McGowan.
(1 Runs, 2 Hits, 1 Errors, 0 LOB)

Woodpeckers 5th (Woodpeckers 5, Mudcats 5) -- Zach Dezenzo hits a home run to right field on a 0-2 pitch. Tyler Whitaker walks. Jose Alvarez singles to left field, Tyler Whitaker to 2nd. Zach Cole Jr. flies out to Hendry Mendez. Ryan Wrobleski pops out to Zack Raabe on the infield fly rule. Garrett McGowan pops out to Robert Moore.
(1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)

Mudcats 7th (Mudcats 6, Woodpeckers 5) -- Jose Sibrian flies out to Zach Cole Jr. Hendry Mendez hits a home run to right field on a 0-0 pitch. Robert Moore grounds out, Bryant Salgado to Garrett McGowan. Eric Brown Jr. grounds out, Tommy Sacco Jr. to Garrett McGowan.
(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)

Mudcats 8th (Mudcats 10, Woodpeckers 5) -- Jesus Chirinos singles to right-center field. Jace Avina struck out looking. Wild pitch by Bryant Salgado, Jesus Chirinos to 2nd. Eduarqui Fernandez walks, Jesus Chirinos to 3rd;wild pitch by Bryant Salgado. Zack Raabe singles to left field, Jesus Chirinos scores; Eduarqui Fernandez to 2nd. Branlyn Jaraba singles to left-center field, Eduarqui Fernandez scores; Zack Raabe to 2nd. Jose Sibrian grounds out, Tommy Sacco Jr. to Garrett McGowan, Zack Raabe to 3rd; Branlyn Jaraba to 2nd. Hendry Mendez singles to right-center field, Zack Raabe scores; Branlyn Jaraba scores. Robert Moore strikes out swinging.
(4 Runs, 4 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)