Skid Snapped as Mudcats Defeat Wood Ducks 8-6

Carolina 8 @ Down East 6

April 27, 2022 | Venue : Grainger Stadium | First pitch : 11:00 AM | Att : 3,755 | T : 2:45

CAR: 0 1 0 0 3 0 4 0 0 8 11 2

DE: 1 1 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 6 7 2

WP: Michele Vassalotti (2 - 0) LP: Bradford Webb (1 - 1) SV: Christian Tripp (1)

KINSTON – The Carolina Mudcats snapped a four-game losing streak with an 8-6 victory versus the Down East Wood Ducks on Wednesday afternoon at Grainger Stadium. Hendry Mendez went 1-for-3 with two runs and two walks, both Micah Bello and Jeferson Quero had two hits, and Eduardo Garcia went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI in the Carolina road victory in Kinston.

After originally falling behind 1-0 in the first, the Mudcats (8-8) came back with a run in the second to tie it at 1-1 after Quero singled and scored on a RBI single from Bello. That 1-1 tie was short-lived though as the Wood Ducks (7-9) answered with a run in the last of the second to take a 2-1 lead on starter Brannon Jordan and the Mudcats.

Jordan allowed just the two early runs and just one hit while working through the fourth. He also walked four and struck out four before reaching 84 pitches (43 strikes) and departing the game.

Carolina was down 2-1 after Jordan left, but went on to take their first lead of the game after scoring three times in the fifth. That three-run frame included back-to-back run scoring doubles from Mendez and Garcia. The Wood Ducks went on tie the game again in the last of the sixth with a couple of runs off Michele Vassalotti, but the Mudcats would take the lead for good in the seventh after putting together a four-hit and four-run frame.

Carolina’s big seventh inning began with a single by leadoff man Hedbert Perez and continued with consecutive walks by Mendez and Garcia. Jesus Chirinos then walked to force in a run and both Quero and Jose Sibrian forced in runs with groundouts. Quero’s groundout in particular was combined with an error by pitcher Bradford Webb and brought in two Carolina runs. Webb (1-1) pitched the fifth, sixth and part of the seventh before leaving the game. He ended up going through two plus innings with seven runs allowed on eight hits.

Vassalotti (2-0) earned the win, his second of the season, while allowing just one earned run (three total) on four hits over two and 2/3 innings. He entered in the fifth after Carolina took the lead, and left in the seventh.

Relievers Karlos Morales and Christian Tripp worked the final two and 1/3 innings with Morales getting an out in the seventh before working a scoreless eighth. Tripp then worked a scoreless ninth while earning his first save of the season.

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:

Garcia, E, SS (Carolina): 2-for-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI

Quero, DH (Carolina): 2-for-5, 1 R, 1 RBI

Bello, LF (Carolina): 2-for-4, 1 RBI

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

Paniagua, 2B (Down East): 1-for-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI

Smith, M, RF (Down East): 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 2B

Osuna, A, DH (Down East): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B

Acosta, M, SS (Down East): 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 2B

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:

Vassalotti (W, 2-0) (Carolina): 2.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO

Morales (Carolina): 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO

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

Teodo (Down East): 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO

McDowell, T (Down East): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO

Dotson (Down East): 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO

SCORING:

Wood Ducks 1st (Wood Ducks 1, Mudcats 0) -- Alejandro Osuna walks. Maximo Acosta walks, Alejandro Osuna to 2nd. Efrenyer Narvaez hit by pitch, Alejandro Osuna to 3rd; Maximo Acosta to 2nd. Yosy Galan strikes out swinging. Junior Paniagua walks, Alejandro Osuna scores; Maximo Acosta to 3rd; Efrenyer Narvaez to 2nd. Marcus Smith strikes out swinging. Abimelec Ortiz struck out looking.

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

Mudcats 2nd (Mudcats 1, Wood Ducks 1) -- Jeferson Quero singles to right field. Wild pitch by Emiliano Teodo, Jeferson Quero to 2nd. Wild pitch by Emiliano Teodo, Jeferson Quero to 3rd. Micah Bello singles to right field, Jeferson Quero scores. Jheremy Vargas flies out to Marcus Smith. Jose Sibrian grounds into double play, Maximo Acosta to Junior Paniagua to Abimelec Ortiz, Micah Bello out at 2nd, Jose Sibrian out at 1st.

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

Wood Ducks 2nd (Wood Ducks 2, Mudcats 1) -- Derwin Barreto strikes out swinging. Daniel Mateo walks. Alejandro Osuna doubles to center field, Daniel Mateo to 3rd. Maximo Acosta hit by pitch. Efrenyer Narvaez out on a sacrifice fly to Hedbert Perez, Daniel Mateo scores; Alejandro Osuna to 3rd. Maximo Acosta caught stealing 2nd base, Jose Sibrian to Jheremy Vargas.

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

Mudcats 5th (Mudcats 4, Wood Ducks 2) -- Pitcher Change: Bradford Webb replaces Theo McDowell. Jose Sibrian singles to right-center field. Alberis Ferrer singles to left-center field, Jose Sibrian to 2nd. Hedbert Perez strikes out swinging. Hendry Mendez doubles to left-center field, Jose Sibrian scores; Alberis Ferrer to 3rd. Eduardo Garcia doubles to right-center field, Alberis Ferrer scores; Hendry Mendez scores. Jesus Chirinos strikes out swinging. Jeferson Quero grounds out, Derwin Barreto to Abimelec Ortiz.

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

Wood Ducks 6th (Mudcats 4, Wood Ducks 4) -- Junior Paniagua doubles to left-center field. Marcus Smith singles to shallow right field, Junior Paniagua to 3rd. Abimelec Ortiz pops out to Eduardo Garcia. Derwin Barreto out on a sacrifice fly to Micah Bello, Junior Paniagua scores; throwing error by Micah Bello. Daniel Mateo singles to left-center field, Marcus Smith scores. Alejandro Osuna strikes out on foul tip.

(2 Runs, 3 Hits, 1 Errors, 1 LOB)

Mudcats 7th (Mudcats 8, Wood Ducks 4) -- Hedbert Perez singles to right field. Hendry Mendez walks, Hedbert Perez to 2nd. Eduardo Garcia singles to right field, Hedbert Perez to 3rd; Hendry Mendez to 2nd. Jesus Chirinos walks, Hedbert Perez scores; Hendry Mendez to 3rd; Eduardo Garcia to 2nd. Jeferson Quero reaches on a fielder's choice, fielded by Bradford Webb, Hendry Mendez scores; Eduardo Garcia scores; throwing error by Bradford Webb. Micah Bello singles to center field, Jesus Chirinos to 3rd; Jeferson Quero to 2nd. Pitcher Change: Destin Dotson replaces Bradford Webb. Jheremy Vargas strikes out swinging. Jose Sibrian grounds out, Maximo Acosta to Abimelec Ortiz, Jesus Chirinos scores; Jeferson Quero to 3rd; Micah Bello to 2nd. Alberis Ferrer strikes out swinging.

(4 Runs, 3 Hits, 1 Errors, 2 LOB)

Wood Ducks 7th (Mudcats 8, Wood Ducks 6) -- Maximo Acosta doubles to left-center field. Wild pitch by Michele Vassalotti, Maximo Acosta to 3rd. Efrenyer Narvaez pops out to Eduardo Garcia. Yosy Galan strikes out swinging. Pitcher Change: Karlos Morales replaces Michele Vassalotti. Junior Paniagua reaches on fielding error by Jheremy Vargas, Maximo Acosta scores. Wild pitch by Karlos Morales, Junior Paniagua to 2nd. Marcus Smith walks. Abimelec Ortiz singles to left field, Junior Paniagua scores; Marcus Smith to 3rd. Derwin Barreto grounds out, Alberis Ferrer to Jesus Chirinos.

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