Mudcats Walloped 6-2 by Taveras and Wood Ducks in Kinston

KINSTON, N.C. - Mario Feliciano hit a solo home run, but Down East outfielder Leody Taveras fell a double shy of the cycle and starter Emerson Martinez struck out eight over six innings as the Wood Ducks defeated the Mudcats 6-2 at Grainger Stadium in Kinston on Wednesady night.

The victory improved the Wood Ducks (17-35, 52-70) to a perfect 8-0 at Grainger Stadium this season versus the Mudcats (23-27, 57-63). It also lifted the Woodies into a 2-0 lead in the three game series and clinched a series win.
Taveras gave his club the early lead with a leadoff home run to start the game off Carolina starter Jorge Ortega. Chuck LeBlanc later drove in Down East's second run in the first with a sacrifice fly and Taveras struck again with a two-out run scoring hit in the second while putting Down East up 3-0 after two.
Ortega (0-3, 7.47) allowed three runs over the first two frames and later saw one more cross on him in the fourth after Taveras drove in another run with a RBI triple. Reliever Phil Bickford allowed Taveras' run scoring triple in the third, but did so after Ortega left with a man on base.
Ortega allowed four runs on six hits over three and 2/3 innings while taking the loss. He also struck out two while reaching 57 pitches (37 strikes) in the game. Bickford faced just two batters following Ortega and ended up allowing an inherited to score while allowing just one hit and retiring one.
Reliever Nathan Kirby entered the game in the fourth for Carolina and would go on to pitch through two innings while allowing two runs and three hits. Kirby began his appearance by allowing a home run to Anderson Tejeda to start the fifth and later allowed a run scoring hit to Alex Kowalcyk later in the same inning. Kirby also walked three and struck out two in his relief appearance.
Mario Feliciano had Carolina's home run in the game as his solo shot in the fourth off starter Emerson Martinez cut the Down East lead to 3-1. The Mudcats went on to rally for one more in the fourth on a two-out RBI hit from Robie Rojas.
Martinez (5-11, 4.22) allowed just the two runs, however, in his quality outing and ended up with the after working through the sixth with two runs allowed. He also walked one and struck out eight while reaching 99 pitches (54 strikes) in the victory.
Reliever Christian Torres and Royce Bolinger worked the final three frames for Down East and combined to hold Carolina scoreless and to just one other hit the rest of the way. Torres retired the side in order in the seventh and Bolinger struck out two and allowed one hit over the eighth and ninth innigns.
The loss dropped Carolina into an 0-2 hole in the series and to just 2-4 overall in their current road trip. The series and road trip will conclude on Thursday night with game three of the three game series. The first pitch in Kinston at Grainger Stadium is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. 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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