Mudcats Cruise To Fourth Straight Victory 6-1

LISTEN: Manager Joe Ayrault's Post-Game Interview

ZEBULON – Felix Valerio went 3-for-4 with a run scoring triple, Ernesto Martinez had a run scoring double in the first and Jhoan Cruz turned in a quality start with seven strikeouts while leading the Mudcats to their fourth straight victory 6-1 over Kannapolis on Friday night at Five County Stadium.

Valerio led the way for the Mudcats (14-8) after going 3-for-4 with a triple and a RBI. Martinez had two hits including a double and rove in two. The victory was Carolina’s fourth straight and was the series clincher as it put the Mudcats up four games to none versus the Cannon Ballers (2-20) in the six-game series.

Cruz (2-1, 6.43) cruised his way to his first victory of the season as he struck out seven, scattered four hits and allowed one unearned run over six scoreless innings.

Carolina took the early lead at 2-0 in the first after Martinez drove in the game’s first run with a two-out run scoring double. He then scored moments later on a two-out RBI hit from Joey Wiemer while giving the Mudcats and Cruz a 2-0 lead to work with. That early run-scoring double for Martinez ran his current hitting steak to eight straight games.

Joe Gray Jr. started that first inning two-out rally with a single and also stole second before scoring on the Martinez double. His hit also extended his hitting streak to seven straight games. Gabe Holt, meanwhile, doubled and scored a run in the second while running his team best hit streak to eight.

Holt’s run scoring hit was the second of Carolina’s three run second. That inning began with a leadoff single from Valerio and continued with a RBI single from Arbert Cipion. Holt then connected on his double to score Cipion from first and a bases loaded ground out by Martinez later in the inning plated Carolina’s third run of the frame.

Carolina eventually went up 6-0 in the fifth after Ashton McGee doubled and scored on Valerio’s triple. That triple was Valerio’s third hit of the night and knocked reliever Jesus Valles out of the game.

Valles had followed Kannapolis starter Andrew Dalquist who allowed all five Carolina runs over the first two innings and took the loss. Dalquist (0-1, 6.75) gave up five runs on six hits over an inning and 1/3. He also walked two and struck out two.

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TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:
Gladney, 3B (Kannapolis): 2-for-4
Osik, 1B (Kannapolis): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B
Valerio, F, 3B (Carolina): 3-for-4, 1 R, 1 3B, 1 RBI
Martinez, E, 1B (Carolina): 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Holt, 2B (Carolina): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Gray Jr., RF (Carolina): 1-for-3, 1 R

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:
Cruz, Jh (W, 2-1) (Carolina): 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO
Begue (Carolina): 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO
Robinson (Carolina): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO
Gillis (Carolina): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO
Valles (Kannapolis): 2.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO
Peralta (Kannapolis): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO
Moore (Kannapolis): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO

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SCORING SUMMARY:
Mudcats 1st (Mudcats 2, Cannon Ballers 0) -- Gabe Holt grounds out, Lency Delgado to Tyler Osik. Freddy Zamora lines out to Caberea Weaver. Joe Gray Jr. singles to deep shortstop. Joe Gray Jr. steals 2nd base. Ernesto Martinez doubles to right field, Joe Gray Jr. scores. Joey Wiemer singles through the hole at shortstop, Ernesto Martinez scores. Ashton McGee struck out looking.
(2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Mudcats 2nd (Mudcats 5, Cannon Ballers 0) -- Felix Valerio singles to right field. Darrien Miller strikes out swinging, Felix Valerio steals 2nd base. Arbert Cipion singles to left-center field, Felix Valerio scores. Gabe Holt doubles down the left-field line, Arbert Cipion scores. Freddy Zamora walks. Joe Gray Jr. walks, Gabe Holt to 3rd; Freddy Zamora to 2nd. Pitcher Change: Jesus Valles replaces Andrew Dalquist. Ernesto Martinez grounds out, Jose Rodriguez to Tyler Osik, Gabe Holt scores; Freddy Zamora to 3rd; Joe Gray Jr. to 2nd. Joey Wiemer flies out to Johnabiell Laureano.
(3 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)

Mudcats 5th (Mudcats 6, Cannon Ballers 0) -- Ashton McGee doubles to left-center field. Felix Valerio triples to right field, Ashton McGee scores. Pitcher Change: Sammy Peralta replaces Jesus Valles. Darrien Miller strikes out swinging. Arbert Cipion struck out looking. Gabe Holt grounds out, Lency Delgado to Tyler Osik.
(1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Cannon Ballers 6th (Mudcats 6, Cannon Ballers 1) -- Defensive Substitution: Daniel Castillo replaces shortstop Freddy Zamora, batting 2nd, playing shortstop. Caberea Weaver strikes out swinging. Tyler Osik reaches on throwing error by Felix Valerio, Tyler Osik to 2nd. Jose Rodriguez singles through the hole at second base, Tyler Osik to 3rd. Bryan Ramos out on a sacrifice fly to Arbert Cipion, Tyler Osik scores. Lency Delgado strikes out swinging.
(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 1 Errors, 1 LOB)