Aguilar, Rodriguez and Segovia Lead Mudcats to 7-2 Victory

BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Braden Webb struck out nine while pitching through a career high seven innings, Joangtel Segovia went 3-for-5 with two RBI and both Ryan Aguilar and Nathan Rodriguez had two hits while leading the Mudcats to a 7-2 victory on Friday night at Buies Creek.

Webb (4-5, 4.13) allowed a first inning home run to J.J. Matijevic, but went on to allow just two other hits the rest of the way while pitching through seven full innings on 96 pitches (58 strikes). In all, Webb struck out nine, walked two and allowed just one run on three hits over seven innings pitched.
Tweet from @CarolinaMudcats: Braden Webb's evening is done after a career-high seven innings pitched. He allows his only run of the game on a first inning homer, and he strikes out nine. pic.twitter.com/ovZwgysseh
Matijevic's homer in the first gave the Astros (1-1, 38-33) and starter Tyler Ivey the early lead, but the Mudcats (1-1, 35-37) came back with two, two-out runs in the second while going up 2-1. They later added two more in the fourth and led 4-1 when Ivey (0-2, 4.32) left the game in the fifth. 
Ivey took the loss for the Astros after allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits over four and 2/3 innings. He also walked one and struck out four. Reliever Colin McKee finished the fifth in place of Ivey and ended up retiring one of two batters faced while getting through the rest of the frame. Carson LaRue then pitched the sixth through the eighth while allowing three runs on four hits. He also struck out six and walked three before giving way to Adam Bleday who pitched a scoreless ninth.
Carolina's two run second began with Weston Wilson reaching on an error by shortstop Osvaldo Duarte and then continued with a two-out single from Aguilar. Wilson moved to third on Aguilar's hit and then scored moments later when Nathan Rodriguez reached on an error at first by Jake Adams. Segovia then followed with a RBI single to right to score Aguilar as the go-ahead to put Carolina up 2-1.
Wilson also started Carolina's two run fourth by reaching on a leadoff single to center. A wild pitch lost by Ivey moved him to third and a single from Aguilar would bring him in to give Carolina a 3-1 lead. Rodriguez then singled to right-center to push Aguilar to third and a bunt single to third from Segovia plated Aguilar to give Carolina a 4-1 lead.
Tweet from @CarolinaMudcats: Weston Wilson wins a 10-pitch at-bat with a single up the middle, and scores on a Ryan Aguilar single. Joantgel Segovia squeezes Aguilar home, and Carolina leads 4-1 as we head to the bottom of the fourth.#MudcatsFUN pic.twitter.com/CFrwwk3os1
Segovia led the way for Carolina after going 3-for-5 with two RBI out of the nine spot in the lineup. Rodriguez hit eighth and went 2-for-4 with two runs and Aguilar hit seventh while also going 2-for-4 with two runs in the game for the Mudcats.
Carolina led 4-1 before getting one more run across in the sixth to go up 5-1 on a bases loaded sacrifice fly to center from Tucker Neuhaus. They then took a 7-1 lead in the eighth on a bases loaded, two-run single to right from Demi Orimoloye. Neuhaus drove in one and was 1-for-4 in Friday's victory. Orimoloye was 1-for-5 with two RBI.
Reliever Nattino Diplan pitched the final two frames for the Mudcats and ended up allowing just one run on two hits over two innings pitched. Abraham Toro singled and scored on a double from Duarte in the ninth while getting the Astros on the board late in the game. Diplan ended up finishing the ninth with Duarte left on base while sealing the series tying victory for Carolina.
The Mudcats leveled the series at 1-1 with Friday's victory. The series will now shift to Carolina as the four game set continues with game three at Five County Stadium in Zebulon.
Saturday's game will begin at 5:00 p.m. at Five County Stadium and will feature a Mudcats themed cowboy hat giveaway for the first 1,200 fans ages 15 and older through the stadium gates (opening at 4:00 p.m.). The game will air on the Mudcats Radio Network, the Big Dawg 98.5 FM and via TuneIn Radio at carolinamudcats.com. It will also stream via live video on MiLB.tv.
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