Warren & Wiemer Go Back-to-Back in 7-4 Win

Warren and Wiemer hit back-to-back homers in the first in Friday’s back and forth battle

June 25, 2021

KINSTON – Zavier Warren and Joey Wiemer hit back-to-back home runs in the first, Joe Gray Jr. recorded his MiLB leading 48th RBI of the season, Joey Matulovich tossed two scoreless frames in relief and Cam Robinson earned his fifth save as the Mudcats outlasted the Wood Ducks 7-6 in

The first place Mudcats (28-16) were out-hit by the Wood Ducks (25-20), but made up for it with strong defensive plays throughout the night including two pickoffs and three outfield assisted double plays. Carolina also totaled two homers in the game and stole three bases while taking a three games to one lead in the series, and a 3.5 game lead on the Wood Ducks in the Low-A East Central standings.

The two club’s traded blows over the first two innings before settling into a pitcher’s duel the rest of the way. The game was tied 5-5 after the fifth and stayed that way until the tenth when automatic runner Ernesto Martinez scored the winning run on a missed third strike wild pitch.

The heavy weight bout began with back-to-back homers from Warren and Wiemer in the first as Carolina struck first with four runs in the opening frame. Warren’s homer was a three-run blast and was his seventh home run of the season. It also extended his hitting streak to eight straight games.

Carolina led 4-0 in the first before the Wood Ducks bounced back with a two-run home run from Dustin Harris and three runs overall against Carolina’s Brock Begue to pull within one of the lead at 4-3. Carolina extended that lead to 6-3 in the second after getting a RBI double from Gray and a RBI single from Felix Valerio.

Gray’s double was his 15th of the season and resulted in his MiLB leading 48th RBI of the year. Valerio ended up going 2-for-4 overall with a run and a RBI in the game. Valerio is now batting a Brewers Minor League system best .331.

Keithron Moss pulled the Wood Ducks back within one of the lead at 6-5 with a two-run homer off Begue in the Down East second.

Begue would go on to stay in the game through the fourth and tossed two scoreless frames before leaving. In all, Begue allowed five runs on six hits, walked three and struck out four. He also picked off a runner at first in the game.

Carolina turned things over to reliever Michele Vassalotti for the next three plus frames, but the Wood Ducks greeted him with a run in the fifth to tie the game at 5-5. Vassalotti ended up allowing just the lone run (a two-out RBI single by Cristian Inoa) while working the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. He also finished with two walks, four strikeouts and four hits allowed.

Vassalotti also escaped a bases loaded jam in the seventh by getting Inoa to fly out into a double play. Wiemer caught Inoa’s fly ball in right and caught Luisangel Acuna at home attempting to score from third to end the inning. The outfield assist was Wiemer’s Low-A East leading ninth of the season. The Mudcats totaled three outfield assists in the game, including one in the tenth by Noah Campbell.

Joey Matulovich pitched the eighth and ninth and blanked the Wood Ducks over both frames while walking only one and striking out three. Matulovich (2-0, 1.80) also faced just five batters over his two innings after coming in after Vassalotti allowed a single to start the eighth. That runner was taken off the bags when Warren picked him off at first.

Cam Robinson later worked the final frame and earned his fifth save of the season after facing three and holding the Wood Ducks scoreless.

The Wood Ducks used five pitchers in the game including starter Leury Tejeda allowing six runs on five hits over an inning and 2/3. Josh Smith was the fourth of the five and was charged with the only other run allowed in the game as he left with a runner on base in the tenth. Fellow reliever Jesus Linarez followed and wound up allowing the go-ahead run to score when Martinez scored from third on a strikeout wild pitch.

HOME RUNS:

Carolina HR : Warren (7, 1st inning off Tejada, 2 on, 2 out); Wiemer (5, 1st inning off Tejada, 0 on, 2 out).

Down East HR : Harris (2, 1st inning off Begue, 1 on, 1 out); Moss (3, 2nd inning off Begue, 1 on, 0 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:
Valerio, F, 2B (Carolina): 2-for-4, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI
Warren, C (Carolina): 1-for-3, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Wiemer, RF (Carolina): 1-for-5, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Gray Jr., CF (Carolina): 1-for-5, 0 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI
Rodriguez, K, SS (Down East): 3-for-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI
Inoa, 3B (Down East): 2-for-5, 0 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI
Valentin, C (Down East): 2-for-4, 0 R, 0 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI
Harris, 1B (Down East): 1-for-3, 2 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:
Vassalotti (Carolina): 3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO
Matulovich (W, 2-0) (Carolina): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO
Robinson (S, 5) (Carolina): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO
Lockhart (Down East): 3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO
Ortega, T (Down East): 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO
Smith, J (Down East): 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO
Linarez (L, 0-1) (Down East): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO

SCORING SUMMARY:
Mudcats 1st (Mudcats 4, Wood Ducks 0) -- Gabe Holt strikes out swinging. Freddy Zamora walks. Joe Gray Jr. grounds out, Cristian Inoa to Dustin Harris, Freddy Zamora to 2nd. Felix Valerio walks. Zavier Warren hits a home run to center field on a 3-1 pitch, Freddy Zamora scores; Felix Valerio scores. Joey Wiemer hits a home run to center field on a 2-0 pitch. Ernesto Martinez grounds out, Keithron Moss to Dustin Harris.
(4 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)

Wood Ducks 1st (Mudcats 4, Wood Ducks 3) -- Jayce Easley flies out to Joe Gray Jr. Luisangel Acuna walks. Dustin Harris hits a home run to right-center field on a 0-0 pitch, Luisangel Acuna scores. Keyber Rodriguez doubles to left field. Keyber Rodriguez steals 3rd base. Cristian Inoa strikes out swinging. Xavier Valentin triples to left field, Keyber Rodriguez scores. Obie Ricumstrict strikes out swinging.
(3 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Mudcats 2nd (Mudcats 6, Wood Ducks 3) -- Ashton McGee walks. Noah Campbell strikes out swinging. Gabe Holt singles to right-center field, Ashton McGee to 3rd. Freddy Zamora strikes out swinging. Joe Gray Jr. doubles to left field, Ashton McGee scores; Gabe Holt to 3rd. Felix Valerio singles to shallow center field, Gabe Holt scores; Joe Gray Jr. to 3rd. Zavier Warren walks, Felix Valerio to 2nd. Pitcher Change: Nick Lockhart replaces Leury Tejada. Joey Wiemer grounds out, Nick Lockhart to Dustin Harris.
(2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors, 3 LOB)

Wood Ducks 2nd (Mudcats 6, Wood Ducks 5) -- Antonio Cabello walks. Wild pitch by Brock Begue, Antonio Cabello to 2nd. Keithron Moss hits a home run to left field on a 3-1 pitch, Antonio Cabello scores. Jayce Easley grounds out, Gabe Holt to Ernesto Martinez. Luisangel Acuna strikes out swinging. Dustin Harris strikes out swinging.
(2 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)

Wood Ducks 5th (Mudcats 6, Wood Ducks 6) -- Pitcher Change: Michele Vassalotti replaces Brock Begue. Luisangel Acuna flies out to Joey Wiemer. Dustin Harris walks. Dustin Harris steals 2nd base. Keyber Rodriguez strikes out swinging. Cristian Inoa singles to center field, Dustin Harris scores. Xavier Valentin grounds out, Felix Valerio to Ernesto Martinez.
(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Mudcats 10th (Mudcats 7, Wood Ducks 6) -- Ernesto Martinez starts inning at 2nd base. Defensive Substitution: Thomas Saggese replaces Alejandro Osuna, batting 9th, playing 2nd. Pitcher Change: Jesus Linarez replaces Josh Smith. Wild pitch by Jesus Linarez, Ernesto Martinez to 3rd. Ashton McGee walks. Offensive Substitution: Pinch runner Andre Nnebe replaces Ashton McGee. Noah Campbell strikes out swinging, Ernesto Martinez scores; Andre Nnebe to 2nd;wild pitch by Jesus Linarez. Defensive Substitution: Randy Florentino replaces catcher Xavier Valentin, batting 6th, playing catcher. Wild pitch by Jesus Linarez, Andre Nnebe to 3rd. Gabe Holt grounds out, Thomas Saggese to Dustin Harris. Freddy Zamora grounds out, Keyber Rodriguez to Dustin Harris.
(1 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)