Mudcats Hit Four Homers in Sweep Clinching Victory

Fayetteville 2 @ Carolina 6
August 21, 2022 | Venue : Five County Stadium | First pitch : 1:01 PM | Att : 1,346 | T : 2:19 (1:27 delay)

FAY: 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 6 1
CAR: 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 2 x 6 9 0

WP: Miguel Guerrero (3 - 1) LP: Alex Santos II (0 - 11) SV: Jeison Pena (1)

ZEBULON – Hedbert Perez hit a game-tying home run in the second, Alberis Ferrer hit a go-ahead homer in the seventh and both Eric Brown Jr. and Jesus Chirinos homered in the eighth as the Carolina Mudcats won their season high sixth straight while finishing off a series sweep of the Fayetteville Woodpeckers 6-2 on Sunday afternoon at Five County Stadium.

The Mudcats (27-21, 61-53) originally fell behind 1-0 in the first after the Woodpeckers (16-32, 47-66) scored with back-to-back doubles from Zach Dezenzo and Collin Price. Perez then tied it at 1-1 in the second after connecting on a rocket home run to right-center off starter Fayetteville’s Edinson Batista. Jadher Areinamo helped give Carolina a 2-1 lead in the third when he singled, stole second and scored on a run-scoring, seeing-eye single through the middle from Robert Moore.

The Mudcats led 2-1 through the fifth before the game was paused and delayed nearly 90 minutes due to rain. Miguel Guerrero would then take over out of the Carolina pen while following starter Yujanyer Herrera and fellow reliever Miguel Segura. Segura, however, did not a throw a pitch as the game was stopped immediately before the sixth. Guerrero (BS, 3-1) first pitched a scoreless sixth, but allowed a run in the seventh while losing the 2-1 lead and suffering a blown save.

The game was tied 2-2 going into the last of the seventh before Perez singled and scored on Ferrer’s two-run home run to right. The newly acquired 4-2 lead then grew to 6-2 with home runs from Brown and Chirinos in the eighth. Reliever Alex Santos II allowed the final three Carolina home runs across the seventh and eighth and took the loss while falling to 0-11 on the season.

Carolina reliever Jeison Pena earned his first save of the season after working through the final two innings with just a hit and two strikeouts. Herrera started for the Mudcats and ended up without a decision despite pitching through the fifth with a run, three hits, three walks and three strikeouts. Batista, meanwhile, struck out eight and allowed two runs on three hits over four and 2/3 in his start for Fayetteville.

The series finale victory clinched Carolina’s first six-game series sweep of the season. The sweep was their second overall in 2022 as the Mudcats additionally swept the Down East Wood Ducks over a three-game series to start the year.

The victory, combined with a Down East loss to Myrtle Beach, moved Carolina into sole possession of second place in the Carolina League North second half standings behind the Fredericksburg Nationals. Carolina trails by 2.0 games (pending the result of Fredericksburg’s game) with 18 games remaining.

HOME RUNS:
Carolina: Perez (15, 2nd inning off Batista, 0 on, 1 out); Ferrer (5, 7th inning off Santos, 1 on, 0 out); Brown Jr. (3, 8th inning off Santos, 0 on, 0 out); Chirinos (11, 8th inning off Santos, 0 on, 1 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:
Perez, RF (Carolina): 2-for-3, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Ferrer, DH (Carolina): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Brown Jr., 2B (Carolina): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Chirinos, 1B (Carolina): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Moore, SS (Carolina): 2-for-4, 1 RBI
Price, C (Fayetteville): 3-for-4, 2 2B, 1 RBI
Dezenzo, DH (Fayetteville): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:
Herrera (Carolina): 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO
Segura (Carolina): 0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO
Guerrero (W, 3-1)(BS, 2) (Carolina): 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO
Pena, Je (S, 1) (Carolina): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO
Batista (Fayetteville): 4.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO

SCORING:
Woodpeckers 1st (Woodpeckers 1, Mudcats 0) -- Jackson Loftin lines out to Jadher Areinamo. Zach Cole Jr. struck out looking. Zach Dezenzo doubles to left-center field. Collin Price doubles to left-center field, Zach Dezenzo scores. Tyler Whitaker walks. Ryan Wrobleski flies out to Eduarqui Fernandez.
(1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)

Mudcats 2nd (Woodpeckers 1, Mudcats 1) -- Jesus Chirinos strikes out swinging. Hedbert Perez hits a home run to right-center field on a 1-0 pitch. Alberis Ferrer struck out looking. Eduarqui Fernandez struck out looking.
(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)

Mudcats 3rd (Mudcats 2, Woodpeckers 1) -- Jadher Areinamo singles to center field. Wild pitch by Edinson Batista, Jadher Areinamo to 2nd. Alex Hall strikes out swinging. Robert Moore singles to shallow center field, Jadher Areinamo scores. Robert Moore steals 2nd base. Eric Brown Jr. grounds out, Jackson Loftin to Garrett McGowan, Robert Moore to 3rd. Jace Avina strikes out swinging.
(1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Woodpeckers 7th (Woodpeckers 2, Mudcats 2) -- Garrett McGowan flies out to Jace Avina. Tommy Sacco Jr. singles to right field. Tommy Sacco Jr. caught stealing 2nd base, Alex Hall to Eric Brown Jr. Jackson Loftin walks. Jackson Loftin steals 2nd base. Zach Cole Jr. doubles to right-center field, Jackson Loftin scores. Zach Dezenzo strikes out swinging.
(1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Mudcats 7th (Mudcats 4, Woodpeckers 2) -- Hedbert Perez singles to right field. Alberis Ferrer hits a home run to right field on a 1-1 pitch, Hedbert Perez scores. Eduarqui Fernandez pops out to Tommy Sacco Jr. in foul territory. Jadher Areinamo struck out looking. Alex Hall reaches on fielding error by Leosdany Molina. Robert Moore flies out to Tyler Whitaker.
(2 Runs, 2 Hits, 1 Errors, 1 LOB)

Mudcats 8th (Mudcats 6, Woodpeckers 2) -- Eric Brown Jr. hits a home run to left-center field on a 0-0 pitch. Jace Avina grounds out, Jackson Loftin to Garrett McGowan. Jesus Chirinos hits a home run to left field on a 1-0 pitch. Hedbert Perez strikes out swinging. Alberis Ferrer struck out looking.
(2 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)