Bullpen Collapse Gives Way to 9-8 Loss in Kinston

KINSTON, N.C. - Tucker Neuhaus hit a solo home run in the first, Ryan Aguilar blasted a grand slam in the second and Luis Aviles Jr. Jr. went 3-for-5 with two runs, but the Mudcats wasted a four run lead in the ninth while losing to the Wood Ducks 9-8 on Friday night at Grainger Stadium in Kinston.

The Mudcats (11-11) led 8-3 early in the game after getting eight runs across on eight hits over the first three frames of Friday's series opener with the Wood Ducks (10-12). The Carolina offense though stalled out over the next six innings and did not score again in the game. The Wood Ducks picked up a run in the fifth before later erasing a four run deficit with a five run ninth to win the game. 
The ninth began with Carolina leading 8-4 and with reliever Chase Williams on the mound. Williams started his appearance with back-to-back walks to Josh Altmann and Anderson Tejeda before then giving up a run scoring hit to Leody Taveras. Williams went on to walk Brendon Davis to load the bases, but then got Matt Whatley to hit into a double play. Carolina traded a run to get those two outs and led 8-6 with two outs in the ninth, but Andretty Cordero followed with a RBI single and knocked Williams out of the game. 
Alec Kenilvort entered in place of Williams with the Mudcats leading 8-7 and with two outs in the ninth, but went on to allow a game tying triple to Chuck LeBlanc and a game winning ground ball hit to second to Alex Kowalczyk as the Wood Ducks rallied back for the walk-off win. 
LeBlanc's triple to deep right-center was nearly caught at the wall by a leaping Aguilar, but the ball hit the top of the ball, thus barely avoiding Aguilar's reach. Kowalczyk's hit was scooped in shallow right by Neuhaus, but his ensuing throw to first missed wide of Kenilvort's reach as he went over to cover first on what ended up being the final play of the game.
Kenilvort (BS, 0-1, 10.29) faced only two batters in the ninth and allowed run scoring hits to both while suffering the loss. Williams did not earn a decision and ended up allowing four runs on two hits over 2/3 innings in his appearance. He also walked three and gave up an earned run for the first time this season. Carolina's two final relievers combined to allow five runs on four hits and three walks in the ninth in the loss.
Jairo Beras earned his first career victory as he pitched a scoreless ninth for the Wood Ducks. He gave up a triple to Weston Wilson with two outs in the ninth, but later left Wilson at third after striking out Aviles to end the inning.
Beras (1-0, 1.17) was one of four Down East relievers to hold Carolina without a run between the fourth and ninth innings. Kaleb Fontenot worked the end of the second and pitched through the fourth while allowing just the one, unearned, third inning run. Cole Wiper pitched a scoreless fifth, sixth and seventh while striking out four against one walk. C.D. Pelham pitched a scoreless eighth with three strikeouts and Beras later finished off Carolina in the ninth. 
It was the Mudcats who scored first in the game as Neuhaus ignited the offense with a solo homer to right in the first. It was his team leading third homer of the season. Down East answered with a run of their own in the bottom side of that same inning, but the Mudcats opened the game up with six runs in the second, before getting one last run in the third.
The Carolina second began with a walk from Wilson and continued with a single from Aviles and then a walk to Max McDowell. Aguilar then delivered his grand slam to right-center while giving the Mudcats the 5-1 lead. The grand slam was the first home run for Aguilar this season and the first grand slam for the Mudcats in 2018 as well. Cooper Hummel later added a two-run double in the second as the Mudcats led 7-1 before seeing the Wood Ducks answer back with two runs in the second before Max McDowell drove in his club's final run with a RBI single in the third.
Down East starter Matt Matuella gave up seven of Carolina's early runs and left during the second inning. In all, Matuella allowed five hits, walked three and struck out three while also allowing two home runs in the game. He went just an inning and 2/3, but the same was also true for Carolina starter Braden Webb who also left in the second.
Webb allowed three runs on four this over an inning and 2/3 and left the game after running this pitch count to 52 over the first two frames. He also walked two and struck out one before leaving the game. 
Reliever Miguel Sanchez followed Webb out of the pen and went on to work through four and 1/3 strong frames before leaving after the sixth. Sanchez struck out five, walked two and allowed just one run one hit over a career best four and 1/3 innings pitched.
Newly added right-hander Alec Crawford then pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth in what was his Carolina League and Mudcats debut. Crawford walked the first batter he faced, but then went on to retire the next six straight while also striking out three.
The Mudcats left eight men on base in the loss, with three of those stranded over the game's first three innings. They also totaled 14 hits in the loss, with eight of which coming over the first, second and third innings. Overall they went just 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position while falling in Friday's road trip and series opener to the Wood Ducks.
The series will continue on Saturday night with the first pitch scheduled for 6:00 p.m. in Kinston at Grainger Stadium. RHP Marcos Diplan (1-1, 3.50) is scheduled to start for Carolina on Saturday in Kinston, while RHP Walker Weickel (0-2, 7.94) is scheduled to go for Down East. The game will air on the Mudcats Radio Network, The Big Dawg 98.5 FM and online at carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio. It will also stream via live video on MiLB.tv.
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