Mudcats Win Fourth Straight 8-4 in Kinston
KINSTON – Zavier Warren and Joey Wiemer both hit solo home runs, Joe Gray Jr. doubled and drove in his 46th RBI of the season, Brandon Knarr earned the victory and Abner Uribe earned his third save as the first place Mudcats extended their Low-A East Central lead over the
KINSTON – Zavier Warren and Joey Wiemer both hit solo home runs, Joe Gray Jr. doubled and drove in his 46th RBI of the season, Brandon Knarr earned the victory and Abner Uribe earned his third save as the first place Mudcats extended their Low-A East Central lead over the Wood Ducks to 2.5 games with a series opening 8-4 victory at Down East on Wednesday night.
Warren went 1-for-2 with two walks, two runs and has now homered in back-to-back games. Wiemer went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI and hit a home run on the road for the first time this season. Gray finished the game 2-for-3 with a double and ran his Low-A East leading RBI total to 46 on the season.
The Mudcats (26-15) trailed 4-3 going into the sixth, but went on to score five unanswered runs the rest of the way while taking Wednesday’s series opener 8-4. The one-run lead held by the Wood Ducks (24-18) in the fourth ended up being their only lead of the game.
Gabe Holt and Freddy Zamora started the game with back-to-back singles before scoring on a double from Gray and a sac fly from Felix Valerio respectively. Those two early runs were later matched by the Wood Ducks in the last of the first as Down East locked the game at 2-2.
Wiemer’s solo home run to start the second broke the tie and put Carolina up 3-2. Down East came right back though in the last of the third to tie it after Jayce Easly walked, stole second, stole third and scored on a wild pitch lost by starter Brandon Knarr. Easley totaled four stolen bases and went 1-for-3 with two runs in the game.
The Wood Ducks later broke the tie with a run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Obie Ricumstrict. That sac fly scored Cody Freeman who had doubled to start the inning, but Knarr (3-1, 5.23) managed to limit the damage and later earned the win. Knarr allowed four earned runs, walked five, gave up three hits and struck out seven in the victory.
Warren started the Carolina sixth with a game-tying home run off reliever Marc Church. With Church still in, Wiemer and Alex Hall then went back-to-back with one-out doubles with Wiemer scoring to break the tie and put the Mudcats on top 5-4. Hall also nearly scored in the sixth, but was caught at home when attempting to come across on a double by Zamora.
Carolina’s seventh featured the Mudcats bringing across three more runs, all while accumulating only one hit. That inning saw Gray walk and a score on a fielder’s choice, Wiemer walk to force in Valerio and Warren score on a ground out. Down East ended up using seven pitchers in the game, including two in the seventh.
Carolina saw Knarr go five full innings while earning the win. Relievers Peyton Long and Abner Uribe took it the rest of the way with Long tossing a scoreless sixth and Uribe (S, 3) going the final three to earn the save. Uribe allowed one hit and struck out one while earning this third save. Long faced just three while tossing his scoreless frame.
The series continues on Thursday at Down East with a doubleheader beginning at 4:30 p.m.
HOME RUNS:
Carolina: Wiemer (4, 2nd inning off Collyer, 0 on, 0 out); Warren (6, 6th inning off Church, 0 on, 0 out).
TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:
Wiemer, RF (Carolina): 3-for-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Zamora, SS (Carolina): 2-for-5, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI
Gray Jr., CF (Carolina): 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI
Warren, 3B (Carolina): 1-for-2, 2 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Easley, CF (Down East): 1-for-3, 2 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI
Freeman, C (Down East): 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI
TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:
Knarr (W, 3-1) (Carolina): 5 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 7 SO
Long (H, 2) (Carolina): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO
Uribe (S, 3) (Carolina): 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO
Serrano (Down East): 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO
Anderson (Down East): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO
SCORING PLAYS:
Mudcats 1st (Mudcats 2, Wood Ducks 0) -- Gabe Holt singles to center field. Freddy Zamora singles to left-center field, Gabe Holt to 2nd. Joe Gray Jr. doubles to left field, Gabe Holt scores; Freddy Zamora to 3rd. Felix Valerio flies into sacrifice double play, Jayce Easley to Keyber Rodriguez, Freddy Zamora scores; Joe Gray Jr. out at 3rd. Zavier Warren walks. Ernesto Martinez struck out looking.
(2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)
Wood Ducks 1st (Mudcats 2, Wood Ducks 2) -- Jayce Easley bunt singles to shallow right field. Jayce Easley steals 2nd base. Luisangel Acuna walks. Jayce Easley steals 3rd base, Luisangel Acuna steals 2nd base. Dustin Harris grounds out to Ernesto Martinez, Jayce Easley scores; Luisangel Acuna to 3rd. Keyber Rodriguez walks. Keyber Rodriguez steals 2nd base. Cody Freeman out on a sacrifice fly to Joey Wiemer, Luisangel Acuna scores; Keyber Rodriguez to 3rd. Cristian Inoa walks. Cristian Inoa picked off and caught stealing 2nd base, Brandon Knarr to Ernesto Martinez to Freddy Zamora.
(2 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)
Mudcats 2nd (Mudcats 3, Wood Ducks 2) -- Joey Wiemer hits a home run to left-center field on a 1-2 pitch. Alex Hall walks. Andre Nnebe strikes out swinging. Gabe Holt flies out to Alejandro Osuna. Freddy Zamora strikes out swinging.
(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)
Wood Ducks 3rd (Mudcats 3, Wood Ducks 3) -- Jayce Easley walks. Jayce Easley steals 2nd base. Luisangel Acuna flies out to Joey Wiemer. Jayce Easley steals 3rd base. Dustin Harris struck out looking. Wild pitch by Brandon Knarr, Jayce Easley scores. Keyber Rodriguez strikes out swinging.
(1 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)
Wood Ducks 4th (Wood Ducks 4, Mudcats 3) -- Cody Freeman doubles to left-center field. Cristian Inoa singles to shallow right field, Cody Freeman to 3rd. Alejandro Osuna strikes out swinging. Obie Ricumstrict out on a sacrifice fly to Andre Nnebe, Cody Freeman scores. Keithron Moss strikes out swinging.
(1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)
Mudcats 6th (Mudcats 5, Wood Ducks 4) -- Pitcher Change: Marc Church replaces Florencio Serrano. Zavier Warren hits a home run down the right-field line on a 2-1 pitch. Ernesto Martinez grounds out, Keithron Moss to Dustin Harris. Joey Wiemer doubles through the hole at shortstop. Alex Hall doubles to left-center field, Joey Wiemer scores. Andre Nnebe strikes out swinging. Gabe Holt walks. Freddy Zamora singles to right-center field, Alex Hall out at home on the throw, Jayce Easley to Cody Freeman, Gabe Holt to 2nd.
(2 Runs, 4 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)
Mudcats 7th (Mudcats 8, Wood Ducks 4) -- Pitcher Change: Joshua Javier replaces Marc Church. Joe Gray Jr. walks. Felix Valerio singles to right-center field, Joe Gray Jr. to 2nd. Zavier Warren hit by pitch, Joe Gray Jr. to 3rd; Felix Valerio to 2nd. Ernesto Martinez reaches on a fielder's choice, fielded by Keyber Rodriguez, Joe Gray Jr. scores; Felix Valerio to 3rd; Zavier Warren to 2nd. Joey Wiemer walks, Felix Valerio scores; Zavier Warren to 3rd; Ernesto Martinez to 2nd. Pitcher Change: Ben Anderson replaces Joshua Javier. Alex Hall struck out looking. Andre Nnebe grounds out, Ben Anderson to Dustin Harris, Zavier Warren scores; Ernesto Martinez to 3rd; Joey Wiemer to 2nd. Gabe Holt flies out to Obie Ricumstrict.
(3 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)