Mudcats Score Six in the Fifth to Down the Wood Ducks

Down East 3 @ Carolina 7

July 24, 2022 | Venue : Five County Stadium | First pitch : 1:00 PM | Att : 887 | T : 2:13

DE: 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 8 0

CAR: 1 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 x 7 7 0

WP: Carlos Rodriguez (3 - 4) LP: Josh Gessner (1 - 1)

LISTEN: Post-Game Interview with Manager Victor Estevez

ZEBULON – Jeferson Quero, Hedbert Perez and Jesus Chirinos each drove in runs with a single, triple and home run respectively to fuel a six-run fifth as the Carolina Mudcats earned a 7-3 series clinching victory versus the Down East Wood Ducks on Sunday afternoon at Five County Stadium. The Mudcats (11-13, 45-45) took two of three in the series against the Wood Ducks (13-10, 46-43) and finished the year 13-11 overall versus Down East.

Perez ended up going 1-for-3 with two RBI including a first inning sacrifice fly to score Hendry Mendez and his RBI triple in the fifth. That first inning sac fly gave the Mudcats an early 1-0 lead. It also followed a leadoff single from Mendez and a double from Jackson Chourio.

Mendez went 1-for-3 overall and stretched his hitting streak to 13 straight games, matching Chourio for the longest hit streak for a Mudcats player this season. Chourio went 1-for-4 with a double, giving him five doubles and five hits overall in the series against the Wood Ducks.

Carlos Rodriguez started for Carolina and held the early 1-0 lead through the second before seeing it slip away on a home run to start the third from Abimelec Ortiz. That home run tied the game at 1-1 and was one of two hits in the inning for Down East. Rodriguez (3-4), however, would go on to work through the fifth with just the one run allowed on four hits. He also worked around a couple of walks and struck out two while getting the victory in what was his eighth consecutive start.

The game remained locked at 1-1 until the Mudcats broke it open with six runs and four hits off reliever Josh Gessner in the fifth. Luis Silva started the Carolina rally with a single. Jesus Garcia then struck out, but would manage to reach on a wild pitch to put two men on for Jhermey Vargas. Gessner (1-1) then hit Vargas with a pitch to load the bases for Mendez who then brought in the go-ahead run with a sac fly. Chourio then hit into a force out, but Gessner would throw a wild pitch to score Garcia and then give up a RBI single to Quero. Perez then brought in Quero from first with a triple and Chirinos would cap the rally with a home run off the video board in left.

In all, Gessner recorded just two outs and allowed six run on four hits while taking the loss. Reliever Jackson Leath finished the fifth for him and also pitched a scoreless sixth. Juan Mejia and Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa followed and worked through a scoreless seventh and eighth respectively. Ryan Garcia started and allowed just one run on three hits over four. He also struck out six.

The Mudcats led 7-1 after the fifth and would then turn things over to the bullpen. Fernando Olguin was the first man up and went on to work through a scoreless sixth. Junior Montero then pitched the next two innings, but would allow two Down East runs in the eighth after originally working a scoreless seventh. Miguel Guerrero then finished the game with a scoreless ninth while striking out two.

The Mudcats are off on Monday, but will return to action on Tuesday night in Fayetteville for game one of a six-game road trip against the Woodpeckers.

HOME RUNS:

Down East: Ortiz (6, 3rd inning off Rodriguez, 0 on, 0 out).

Carolina: Chirinos (6, 5th inning off Gessner, 0 on, 2 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:

Perez, LF (Carolina): 1-for-3, 1 R, 0 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI

Chirinos, 1B (Carolina): 2-for-4, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Silva, 3B (Carolina): 1-for-4, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

Mendez, RF (Carolina): 1-for-3, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI

Chourio, CF (Carolina): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

Ortiz, 1B (Down East): 2-for-4, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Cauley, SS (Down East): 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI

Rodriguez, J, RF (Down East): 2-for-3, 0 R, 0 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:

Rodriguez (W, 3-4) (Carolina): 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO

Olguin (Carolina): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO

Guerrero (Carolina): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO

Garcia, R (Down East): 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 SO

Leath (Down East): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO

Mejia, Ju (Down East): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO

Hoopii-Tuionetoa (Down East): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO

SCORING PLAYS:

Mudcats 1st (Mudcats 1, Wood Ducks 0) -- Hendry Mendez singles to left field. Jackson Chourio hits a ground rule double to left field, Hendry Mendez to 3rd. Jeferson Quero strikes out swinging. Hedbert Perez out on a sacrifice fly to Jose Rodriguez, Hendry Mendez scores; Jackson Chourio to 3rd. Jesus Chirinos struck out looking.

(1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Wood Ducks 3rd (Wood Ducks 1, Mudcats 1) -- Abimelec Ortiz hits a home run to right field on a 1-2 pitch. Zion Bannister grounds out, Luis Silva to Jesus Chirinos. Ian Moller walks. Cameron Cauley singles to left field, Cameron Cauley out at 2nd on the throw, Hedbert Perez to Luis Silva to Jesus Chirinos, Ian Moller to 2nd. Ian Moller caught stealing 3rd base, Jeferson Quero to Luis Silva.

(1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)

Mudcats 5th (Mudcats 7, Wood Ducks 1) -- Pitcher Change: Josh Gessner replaces Ryan Garcia. Luis Silva singles to left field. Luis Silva steals 2nd base. Jesus Garcia strikes out swinging, Luis Silva to 3rd; Jesus Garcia to 1st;wild pitch by Josh Gessner. Jheremy Vargas hit by pitch, Jesus Garcia to 2nd. Hendry Mendez out on a sacrifice fly to Jose Rodriguez, Luis Silva scores. Jackson Chourio grounds into a force out, Miguel Villarroel to Junior Paniagua, Jesus Garcia to 3rd; Jheremy Vargas out at 2nd. Wild pitch by Josh Gessner, Jesus Garcia scores; Jackson Chourio to 2nd. Jeferson Quero singles to left field, Jackson Chourio scores. Hedbert Perez triples to right field, Jeferson Quero scores. Hedbert Perez scores on a balk. Jesus Chirinos hits a home run to left-center field on a 0-2 pitch. Zack Raabe hit by pitch. Pitcher Change: Jackson Leath replaces Josh Gessner. Luis Silva strikes out swinging.

(6 Runs, 4 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Wood Ducks 8th (Mudcats 7, Wood Ducks 3) -- Zion Bannister struck out looking. Ian Moller walks. Cameron Cauley doubles to left-center field, Ian Moller scores. Yosy Galan strikes out swinging. Jose Rodriguez triples to left field, Cameron Cauley scores. Efrenyer Narvaez grounds out, Jheremy Vargas to Jesus Chirinos.

(2 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)