Mudcats Complete Another Comeback, Win Fourth Straight

Carolina Mudcats 9 – Augusta GreenJackets 7

Box Score

NORTH AUGUSTA, SC – Once again, the Carolina Mudcats (12-2) weathered the storm early and exploded offensively late Saturday night at SRP Park as the Mudcats took down the Augusta GreenJackets (6-8) by a 9-7 final score. Carolina has won four straight games and continues to lead the Carolina League in wins through the early stages of 2024.

The Mudcats jumped out in front early in the top of the second thanks to a Blayberg Diaz RBI single. The lead grew to 3-0 in the third when Yophery Rodriguez launched a two-run home run off Augusta starter Adam Maier for his second home run in as many nights.

Meanwhile, Carolina starter Josh Timmerman held the GreenJackets' offense scoreless through the first two innings, but Augusta broke through in the third against him with a Joe Olsavsky RBI single. In the fourth, a play that involved two Mudcats errors allowed two more Greenjackets runs to score to even the game. Augusta then picked up a run-scoring single from Luis Sanchez and an RBI groundout from Kade Kern to give the hosts a 5-3 lead.

Carolina got a spark in the top of the sixth when Luis Castillo blasted his third home run of the year to make it 5-4. A Morris Austin (W, 2-0) wild pitch in the bottom half allowed the Jackets to push their lead back up to two.

Needing another spark in the top of the seventh, the Mudcats got it quickly when Juan Baez doubled to left to lead off the frame. Rodriguez followed with a bloop single and advanced to second on the throw to put the tying run in scoring position against Augusta reliever Adel Dilone (L, 1-1). Up came Tayden Hall, who singled to left to score Baez and cut the lead back down to one, chasing Dilone from the ballgame in favor of Giomar Diaz.

Daniel Guilarte came up and hit a ground ball to short that ate up GreenJackets shortstop Cam Magee, scoring Rodriguez and tying the game in the process. Guilarte and Hall then moved up a base on a balk from Diaz before Castillo drew a walk. With the bases loaded, Kay-Lan Nicasia ripped a base hit to right to give Carolina the 7-6 lead. Blayberg Diaz later drove in another run on a sacrifice fly to close out a four-run seventh.

Austin came back out to pitch a clean bottom half of the seventh for the Mudcats and got the first two outs of the eighth as well. Bayden Root (SV, 2) relieved him and swiftly got the final out to push the game into the ninth. Nicasia led the top half off with a double and advanced to third on a ball four to Diaz that got away from Augusta catcher Jacob Godman. Reidy Mercado then singled in Nicasia to close out the scoring for Carolina.

Root returned to the hill for the ninth and conceded a pair of singles before a sac fly to Magee. However, he bounced back to strike out Godman and secure the win for the Mudcats.

Both teams will meet Sunday afternoon to conclude their six-game series as Carolina has a chance to win five out of six for the second straight week. RHP Yorman Galindez gets the start for the Mudcats opposite LHP Riley Frey for the GreenJackets. First pitch is scheduled for 1:35 PM.

Single-game tickets, season ticket packages, mini plans, group options, as well as luxury suite packages and DRB Homes Sky Lounge reservations in the US Foods Club Level are also still available now by visiting www.carolinamudcats.com, by calling (919) 269-2287, and by visiting the Five County Stadium front office in Zebulon.