ZEBULON, N.C. - Winston-Salem's Joel Booker delivered a go-ahead RBI double in the eleventh as the Dash finished off a three game sweep of the Mudcats with an eleven inning 2-1 victory on Sunday afternoon at Five County Stadium.
ZEBULON, N.C. - Winston-Salem's Joel Booker delivered a go-ahead RBI double in the eleventh as the Dash finished off a three game sweep of the Mudcats with an eleven inning 2-1 victory on Sunday afternoon at Five County Stadium.
Booker's run scoring double in the eleventh came against reliever Luke Barker and with two outs in what would prove to be the final inning of the game. Barker (4-1, 1.69) nearly escaped the eleventh, but would lose Booker on an 0-1 offering while suffering his first loss of the season. He originally entered the game in the ninth and ended up working through three innings with two unearned runs allowed on three hits. He also struck out two while reaching 43 pitches (34 strikes) and facing 12 batters overall.
The game was tied 0-0 through nine and it wasn't until the tenth when the Dash (36-27) took a 1-0 lead when Yermin Mercedes started the first extra frame with a RBI double off Barker, thus scoring the inserted runner from second.
Trailing 1-0 in the tenth, Carolina (29-33) would start their half of the extra frame with pinch runner Luis Aviles Jr. Jr. at second and with Max McDowell due up first to start the inning. McDowell went on to drop a sacrifice bunt to move Aviles to third before a RBI single from Cooper Hummel tied the game at 1-1.
Booker later came through with his go-ahead RBI double in the eleventh to lift the Dash to their 2-1 lead. The Mudcats started their half of the eleventh with Rob Henry at second, but a sacrifice bunt from Joantgel Segovia quickly pushed him to third ahead of Dallas Carroll. Following a walk by Carroll, Henry would attempt to steal home on a double steal with Carroll attempting to take second, but a good relay back to Mercedes catching from shortstop Yeyson Yrizarri would catch Henry at home for the inning's second out. Carroll took second on the play, but Tucker Neuhaus then flew out to right as the Dash held on for the series sweep clinching victory.
Cam Roegner started the game and turned in perhaps his best start of the season as he worked through a career high eight innings with a career high eight strikeouts while holding the Dash scoreless through the eighth. Roegner also induced two double plays, retired seven via groundout, walked one and scattered three hits while reaching 99 pitches (67 strikes) and pitching to a season high 88 game score.
Dash starter Luis Martinez also tossed a gem in Sunday's game as he worked through six scoreless frames with two hits allowed and five strikeouts. He pitched around doubles in the first and second from Weston Wilson and Ryan Aguilar respectively, but did not allow another base runner the rest of the way. He retired 13 straight Mudcats between the end of the second and through the sixth before leaving the game.
Relievers Kyle Kubat, Zach Thompson and Matt Foster all followed Martinez and combined to hold Carolina to just one run and four hits over eleven full innings. Kubat struck out one over two scoreless innings, Thompson (2-1, 1.89) went on to allow an unearned run in the tenth, but earned the win. Foster (S, 6) then worked through a scoreless eleventh while earning the save.
The loss dropped Carolina to 2-4 in its final home stand of the 2018 first half schedule. The Mudcats finished their first half schedule of home games at 19-15. The loss also dropped them to 6.5 games back of first with eight games remaining in the first half schedule. Carolina will next play on the road at Buies Creek on Monday night beginning at 6:00 p.m.
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