Raabe Rips Walk-Off Single in 4-3 Victory in Extras

Fayetteville 3 @ Carolina 4

July 03, 2022 | Venue : Five County Stadium | First pitch : 6:36 PM | Att : 5,208 | T : 2:54

FAY: 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 7 2

CAR: 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 1 4 9 1

WP: Michele Vassalotti (8 - 1) LP: Jacob DeLabio (0 - 2)

LISTEN: Post-Game Interview with Manager Victor Estevez

ZEBULON – Zack Raabe broke a 3-3 tie in the tenth with a walk-off single to lift the Carolina Mudcats to a 4-3 victory versus the Fayetteville Woodpeckers on Sunday night at Five County Stadium. The walk-off single was Raabe’s second of the season and came in front of an Independence Day weekend crowd of 5,208 at Five County Stadium. The victory was additionally Carolina’s fourth straight in the series, giving them a 5-1 series victory versus the Woodpeckers.

The Woodpeckers (2-7, 33-41) originally led 2-0 in the first after Leosdany Molina connected on a two-run home run off Carolina (5-4, 39-36) starter Carlos Rodriguez. That home run was one of two hits allowed by Rodriguez in the first, but would be all of the rusn that he allowed in the opening frame. Rodriguez went on to pitched through the fifth with the two-run homer allowed in the first and an unearned run in the fifth. He also struck out six, walked three and gave up four hits in his start.

The Mudcats were down 3-0 when Rodriguez left the game, but would go on to score twice against Fayetteville starter Carlos Calderon in the sixth to get within one of the lead. Jeferson Quero homered off Calderon to start the sixth, but it was a double from Jackson Chourio in the next at-bat that knocked the Fayetteville starter out of the game.

With reliever Kasey Ford in, Chourio would go on to score later in the frame on a sac fly while cutting the lead to 3-2. Ford was also on the mound in the eighth when Chourio scored the tying run from second on a double to right-center from Eduardo Garcia.

With the game tied at 3-3, and after reliever Brannon Jordan’s three scoreless frames, the Mudcats turned things over to reliever Michele Vassalotti for the ninth and tenth. Vassalotti pitched around a double in the ninth and stranded a runner at third to help force extras. He also left a runner at third in the tenth while setting the stage for Carolina’s walk-off. In all, Vassalotti struck out five, walked one and gave the Mudcats two scoreless innings while earning his eighth win of the season.

Fayetteville reliever Jacob DeLabio ended up with the loss as he was on the mound for Raabe’s game-winner in the tenth. DeLabio (0-2) pitched through an inning and 2/3 overall and would allow a run and three hits in the loss.

HOME RUNS:

Fayetteville: Molina (5, 1st inning off Rodriguez, 1 on, 0 out).

Carolina: Quero (6, 6th inning off Calderon, 0 on, 0 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:

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

Chourio, CF (Carolina): 2-for-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

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

Raabe, 2B (Carolina): 1-for-5, 0 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI

Molina, DH (Fayetteville): 2-for-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Ramirez, Y, 2B (Fayetteville): 1-for-4, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

Cerny, CF (Fayetteville): 1-for-3, 0 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:

Rodriguez (Carolina): 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO

Jordan (Carolina): 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO

Vassalotti (W, 8-1) (Carolina): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO

Calderon (Fayetteville): 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO

Ford (BS, 2) (Fayetteville): 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO

DeLabio (L, 0-2) (Fayetteville): 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO

SCORING:

Woodpeckers 1st (Woodpeckers 2, Mudcats 0) -- Yeuris Ramirez walks. Leosdany Molina hits a home run to left-center field on a 0-0 pitch, Yeuris Ramirez scores. Logan Cerny walks. Justin Williams singles to left-center field, Logan Cerny to 2nd. Tyler Whitaker grounds out, Jean Carmona to Jesus Chirinos, Logan Cerny to 3rd; Justin Williams to 2nd. Rainier Rivas strikes out swinging. Jaxon Hallmark walks. Freddy Guilamo flies out to Hendry Mendez.

(2 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 3 LOB)

Woodpeckers 5th (Woodpeckers 3, Mudcats 0) -- Yeuris Ramirez reaches on fielding error by Eduardo Garcia. Leosdany Molina doubles to center field, Yeuris Ramirez out at 3rd on the throw, Jackson Chourio to Eduardo Garcia to Jean Carmona, Leosdany Molina to 3rd. Logan Cerny out on a sacrifice fly to Jackson Chourio, Leosdany Molina scores. Justin Williams grounds out, Eduardo Garcia to Jesus Chirinos.

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

Mudcats 6th (Woodpeckers 3, Mudcats 2) -- Jeferson Quero hits a home run to left field on a 0-0 pitch. Jackson Chourio doubles to left field. Pitcher Change: Kasey Ford replaces Carlos Calderon. Hedbert Perez walks. Wild pitch by Kasey Ford, Jackson Chourio to 3rd; Hedbert Perez to 2nd. Eduardo Garcia walks. Zack Raabe strikes out swinging. Jean Carmona flies into sacrifice double play, Logan Cerny to Jaxon Hallmark, Jackson Chourio scores; Hedbert Perez out at 3rd.

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

Mudcats 8th (Woodpeckers 3, Mudcats 3) -- Jackson Chourio singles to center field. Jackson Chourio steals 2nd base. Hedbert Perez grounds out to Justin Williams, Jackson Chourio to 3rd. Eduardo Garcia doubles to right-center field, Jackson Chourio scores. Zack Raabe flies out to Rolando Espinosa, Eduardo Garcia to 3rd. Pitcher Change: Jacob DeLabio replaces Kasey Ford. Jean Carmona grounds out, Justin Williams to Jacob DeLabio.

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

Mudcats 10th (Mudcats 4, Woodpeckers 3) -- Jackson Chourio starts inning at 2nd base. Hedbert Perez walks. Eduardo Garcia grounds into a force out, Tyler Whitaker to Jaxon Hallmark, Jackson Chourio out at 3rd, Hedbert Perez to 2nd. Zack Raabe singles up the middle, Hedbert Perez scores; Eduardo Garcia to 2nd.

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