BUIES CREEK, NC - The Mudcats lost a 2-1 lead in the seventh and wasted a late lead for the second straight game while falling to the Astros 7-3 in Saturday night's series opener at Jim Perry Stadium in Buies Creek.
BUIES CREEK, NC - The Mudcats lost a 2-1 lead in the seventh and wasted a late lead for the second straight game while falling to the Astros 7-3 in Saturday night's series opener at Jim Perry Stadium in Buies Creek.
Cam Roegner started the game for Carolina (5-4, 39-40) and ended taking the loss after allowing three runs in the seventh inning and losing a 2-1 lead. In all, Roegner (7-4, 2.05) gave up four runs on seven hits over six and 1/3 innings pitched while losing to the Astros (8-2, 45-34) for the first time this season.
Roegner began the game with five straight scoreless frames before allowing a solo home run to Chuckie Robinson in the sixth. Robinson's home run cut what was a two run lead down to 2-1, and was the first of seven runs scored over the final three innings for the Astros. It was also the first of eight Buies Creek hits between the sixth and eighth.
Abraham Toro started the three run seventh with a lead-off walk (Roegner started the at-bat ahead 0-2) before scoring moments later on a RBI double from Ronnie Dawson. Toro's run tied the game at 2-2, but the Astros went on to take a 3-2 lead in the next at-bat when Osvaldo Duarte reached on a RBI triple to center. Dawson scored from second on Duarte's hit and a run scoring single two batters later from Jake Adams scored Duarte to bring the Astros lead to 4-2.
Adams' RBI single knocked Roegner out of the game and left-hander Daniel Brown would follow while getting the Mudcats out of the inning. Roegner allowed three runs and three hits in the seventh while seeing the Astros go up 4-2 in the game.
Tucker Neuhaus helped Carolina get back within one of the lead after reaching on a triple and scoring a RBI groundout from Weston Wilson in the eighth. The run closed the lead to 4-3, but the Astros went on to answer with three more runs in the eighth while going up 7-3 in the game.
Toro brought in the first run of the eighth with a sacrifice fly to center and Dawson brought in the second with a double to left-center. Bryan De La Cruz then followed with a RBI single while driving in the third Astros run of the inning and knocking Brown out of the game.
Brown ended up allowing three runs on four hits over an inning and 1/3 before leaving the game. Braulio Ortiz went on to get the final out of the eighth after retiring his only batter faced with a strikeout.
Gabriel Valdez worked the final inning for the Astros and ended up striking out two over one scoreless frame. Ronel Blanco (5-1, 1.73) earned the win after working through an inning and 2/3 with one run allowed on one hit.
Brandon Bailey started for the Astros and worked through six and 1/3 innings while allowing two runs on eight hits. He also walked one and struck out seven. Bailey left during the seventh with Carolina leading 2-0, but was already out of the game when Buies Creek started its comeback bid.
Carroll scored the first run of the game after he and Orimoloye went back-to-back with doubles to start the fourth. Carroll also drove in Carolina's second run after driving in Dustin Houle with a single to center in the fifth.
Carroll went 2-for-5 in the game with a double, a run and one RBI. Orimoloye went 2-for-3 with a RBI double. Houle went 2-for-3 with a run and Joantgel Segovia stretched his hitting streak to eight straight games after going 1-for-5.
The loss was Carolina's second straight and dropped them to 3-2 in their current road trip. The six game trip will conclude on Sunday afternoon in Buies Creek with the first pitch scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at Jim Perry Stadium. The game will air on the Mudcats Radio Network, the Big Dawg 98.5 FM and via TuneIn Radio at carolinamudcats.com.
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