Streaking Mudcats Win Fifth Straight 3-1

Fayetteville 1 @ Carolina 3
August 20, 2022 | Venue : Five County Stadium | First pitch : 5:03 PM | Att : 3,869 | T : 2:21

FAY: 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 7 1
CAR: 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 x 3 4 1

WP: Alexander Cornielle (9 - 7) LP: Deylen Miley (3 - 7) SV: Michele Vassalotti (7)

ZEBULON – Branlyn Jaraba had a game-tying double and Jace Avina had a go-ahead RBI walk in the fifth, Alexander Cornielle won his third straight start and relievers Leoni De La Cruz and Michele Vassalotti combined on four scoreless innings as the Carolina Mudcats won their fifth straight 3-1 versus the Fayetteville Woodpeckers on Saturday night at Five County Stadium.

The game was scoreless through the fourth before the Woodpeckers (16-31, 47-65) broke the tie with a run in the top of the fifth with a sac fly off starter Alexander Cornielle. The Mudcats (26-21, 60-53) then answered right back with two in the last of the fifth with Jaraba’s game-tying double and Avina’s bases loaded walk. Jadher Areinamo walked and scored from first on Jaraba’s equalizing hit.

Cornielle (9-7) earned the win after pitching through the fifth with four strikeouts and one run allowed on four hits. He worked around five walks and left six men on base, including one at third in the first, two in the second, and one in the fourth after getting Ryan Wrobleski to hit into an inning-ending double play. The Mudcats have won each of Cornielle’s last six starts.

Deylen Miley allowed both Carolina runs in the fifth and took the loss despite giving up just two hits over five innings pitched. Miley (3-7) also struck out eight and walked four in his start. Reliever Nic Swanson allowed the only other run of the game as he walked Jose Sibrian to start the seventh before then giving up a double to Robert Moore and a sac fly to Eric Brown.

The Mudcats led 3-1 in the seventh and that two-run lead would be enough as De La Cruz and Vassalotti cruised through four scoreless innings to wrap up the game five of six victory. De La Cruz worked three scoreless with three strikeouts, two hits and one walk. Vassalotti pitched a scoreless ninth and worked around a hit with the help of two solid defensive plays by Avina in center to start the inning and Brown at short to end the game.

The victory was Carolina’s fifth straight and put them up 5-0 in the six-game set. It also lifted the Mudcats to 2.5 games back of the Carolina League North leading Fredericksburg Nationals with 19 games remaining.

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:
Jaraba, 1B (Carolina): 1-for-3, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Sibrian, C (Carolina): 1-for-2, 1 R
Moore, 2B (Carolina): 1-for-4, 1 2B
Areinamo, 3B (Carolina): 1-for-3, 1 R
Melton, DH (Fayetteville): 2-for-4
Alvarez, J, LF (Fayetteville): 1-for-3, 1 2B

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:
Cornielle (W, 9-7) (Carolina): 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 4 SO
De La Cruz (H, 2) (Carolina): 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO
Vassalotti (S, 7) (Carolina): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO
Miley (L, 3-7) (Fayetteville): 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 8 SO
Swanson (Fayetteville): 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO

SCORING:
Woodpeckers 5th (Woodpeckers 1, Mudcats 0) -- Garrett McGowan grounds out to Branlyn Jaraba. Zach Cole Jr. walks. Jacob Melton singles up the middle, Zach Cole Jr. to 3rd. Zach Dezenzo out on a sacrifice fly to Hendry Mendez, Zach Cole Jr. scores. Tyler Whitaker flies out to Eduarqui Fernandez.
(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Mudcats 5th (Mudcats 2, Woodpeckers 1) -- Jadher Areinamo walks. Branlyn Jaraba doubles to left field, Jadher Areinamo scores. Jose Sibrian lines into unassisted double play, Tommy Sacco Jr., Branlyn Jaraba out at 2nd. Hendry Mendez walks. Robert Moore reaches on fielding error by Garrett McGowan, Hendry Mendez to 3rd. Eric Brown Jr. hit by pitch, Robert Moore to 2nd. Jace Avina walks, Hendry Mendez scores; Robert Moore to 3rd; Eric Brown Jr. to 2nd. Luis Castillo flies out to Tyler Whitaker.
(2 Runs, 1 Hits, 1 Errors, 3 LOB)

Mudcats 7th (Mudcats 3, Woodpeckers 1) -- Jose Sibrian walks. Hendry Mendez strikes out swinging. Robert Moore doubles to right field, Jose Sibrian to 3rd. Eric Brown Jr. out on a sacrifice fly to Jose Alvarez, Jose Sibrian scores. Wild pitch by Nic Swanson, Robert Moore to 3rd. Jace Avina strikes out swinging.
(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)