Carolina Closes April with Fourth Straight Win, 3-2 in Extras Versus Salem

SALEM, VA - Ryan Aguilar broke a 2-2 tie in the tenth with a RBI single, reliever Michael Petersen earned the win after striking out four and retiring seven straight from the seventh through the ninth and closer Rodrigo Benoit picked up his Carolina League leading seventh save as the Mudcats won their fourth straight 3-2 in ten innings versus the Red Sox on Tuesday night at Haley Toyota Field in Salem, VA.

Carolina (16-10) was originally down in the game 1-0 through the fifth before scoring twice in the sixth to take a 2-1 lead. The Red Sox (11-14) then came right back with a run of their own in the sixth to the tie the game at 2-2 and it stayed locked at 2-2 through the ninth until the Mudcats broke through with the eventual winning run on Aguilar's run scoring hit to center off reliever Jake Cosart in the tenth. 
Cosart (0-2, 2.19) originally entered the game in the eighth and had worked through two scoreless frames before seeing the go-ahead run score from third in the ninth. Cosart finished with four strikeouts and one unearned run allowed on one hit over three innings pitched. 
Cosart was the third pitcher of the night for Salem as starter Daniel Gonzalez pitched into the sixth with two runs (one earned) allowed on eight hits. He also walked one and struck out five. Joan Martinez followed Gonzalez and pitched through two scoreless frames with two hits, a walk and one strikeout.
Petersen (1-0, 2.84) was the second arm out of the Carolina bullpen as he entered with two outs in the seventh in place of fellow reliever J.T. Hintzen. He went on to close the seventh with a strikeout and then proceeded to retire the next six he faced in consecutive order while facing the minimum and striking out four over two and 1/3 innings.
Hintzen worked the end of the sixth in place of starter Dylan File and pitched around two hits and two walks while striking out two and recording three total outs. File allowed just two runs on seven hits over five and 2/3 innings. He also struck out seven giving him 31 strikeouts against just two walks for the season.
The Red Sox originally scored first in the game after getting on the board in the third when lead off man Jarren Duran singled, stole second and scored on a double to left from Pedro Castellanos. File, however, went on to hold the Red without a run over the next two frames while his offense came back with two runs in the sixth.
Carolina was down 1-0 entering the sixth before scoring a couple of runs with help of four hits, including back-to-back singles to start the sixth from Aguilar and Payton Henry. The inning then continued with Mario Feliciano reaching on a fielder's choice and a catching error at third after the Red Sox failed to catch Aguilar at third. Rob Henry then ripped a RBI single to left to bring in one and knock Salem's starter Gonzalez out of the game. Martinez followed and went on to allow one of the three he inherited to score on a RBI single from Eddie Silva.
The 2-1 Carolina lead was short-lived though as the Red Sox came back with a bloop double to right from Castellanos and then a sacrifice fly later in the inning from Victor Acosta. File stayed in the game long enough to allow Acosta's sac fly, but left immediately after once he climbed over 90 pitches (92 pitches, 68 strikes).
The game was tied 2-2 after six and stayed that way until Aguilar gave Carolina the lead in the tenth, driving in inserted runner Joantgel Segovia. Aguilar was 3-for-5 with a RBI in the game. Segovia went 2-for5 with a run and Eddie Silva was 2-for-4 with a double and a RBI.
Benoit (S, 7) then pitched a perfect ninth while earned the save. He finished the game leaving Salem's inserted runner at third and with Ryan Fitzgerald lining out to first.
The extra innings game and victory was the first for the Mudcats this season and came in their final game in April as Carolina closed the month six games above .500 at 16-10. The Mudcats also finished April with 25 home runs, the most for a Mudcats team in the first month of the season since the 2004 totaled 24 homers in April 2004.
UP NEXT: Winners of four straight, the Mudcats will next play game three of the four game set on Wednesday morning beginning at 11:05 a.m. at Haley Toyota Field in Salem, VA. The game will air live on the Mudcats Radio Network, Movin' 99.3 FM and online at carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio.
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