FREDERICK, MD - Frederick's Randolph Gassaway hit a three-run home run in the fourth while leading the Keys back from an early deficit and to a series clinching 6-4 victory versus the Mudcats at Nymeo Field on Sunday afternoon. Carolina ended up losing two of three in the series and
FREDERICK, MD - Frederick's Randolph Gassaway hit a three-run home run in the fourth while leading the Keys back from an early deficit and to a series clinching 6-4 victory versus the Mudcats at Nymeo Field on Sunday afternoon. Carolina ended up losing two of three in the series and finished 1-2 in the road trip.
The Mudcats (60-70, 37-23) scored first in Sunday's series finale after getting two runs across on two hits in the first inning. Dillon Thomas scored the first run of the game after leading off with a walk and scoring on a RBI double from Demi Orimoloye. Mario Feliciano also scored after following Thomas' walk with a hit and scoring a few batters later on an RBI groundout from Ryan Aguilar.
Keys (62-68, 27-34) starter Cody Sedlock allowed both Carolina runs in the first, but ended up allowing just the two overall while pitching through the fourth. He also walked three, struck out four and allowed three hits in his outing. He also left with Frederick leading 4-2 after the Keys came back with four in the third off starter Jorge Ortega.
The four run Frederick fourth started with a walk issued by Ortega to Alejandro Juvier, continued with a single from Cole Billingsley and then Gassaway's three-run home run. The Gassaway homer gave the Keys a 3-2 lead, was his sixth overall and third in as many games.
Frederick later added one more in the third and led 4-2 through the first third of the game. Their fourth run scored when reliever Nathan Kirby, who had inherited two from Ortega, walked the first two he faced to load the bases and then force in a run.
Kirby went on to finish the third with a strikeout of Juvier and remained in the game while working through a scoreless fourth. Alec Kenilvort followed and retired the first two he faced in the fifth before allowing three straight two-out hits and two runs in the frame. The three hit rally included a single from Chris Clare, a RBI double from Jake Ring and then a RBI single from Stuart Levy.
The Keys led 6-2 after their two run fifth, but Carolina came back with a run in the seventh on a RBI single from Orimoloye to cut the lead to 6-3. They then brought the lead down to 6-4 in the eighth when Carroll connected on a line drive home run down the left field line.
Carroll's home run came off reliever Matt Trowbridge and was the only run Trowbridge allowed in his one and 2/3 innings relief appearance. Trowbridge originally entered the game in the seventh right after Orimoloye's run scoring single and ended up inheriting a bases loaded jam from fellow reliever Matthias Dietz. Trowbridge went on to strikeout two straight to escape the seventh and pitched through and inning and 2/3 overall.
Dietz, meanwhile, pitched through two and 1/3 with three walks, three strikeouts and a run allowed on two hits. Steven Klimek later finished the game and earned his thir save after holding Carolina scoreless in the ninth.
Reliever Phil Bickford finished the game for Carolina and tossed two scoreless frames with a walked and a strikeout while finishing the game.
NOTES: Cooper Hummel went 0-for-3 with a walk while maintaining his Carolina League leading on-base percentage at .386 for the season... Demi Orimoloye went 2-for-4 with two RBI and has hit safely in six straight games... Carolina's offense struck out 10 times, bringing their season strikeout total to a Carolina League high 1,232. The Mudcats are just 13 strikeouts away from matching the Carolina League record for most total strikeouts in a season (1,245). The record was set last season by the 2017 Carolina Mudcats.
UP NEXT: The Mudcats return to Five County Stadium on Monday night for the first game of their final home stand of the 2018 season. The final home stand will feature six games, including four versus the Down East Wood Duck and two versus the Buies Creek Astros. Monday's opener versus Down East will begin at 7:00 p.m. and is Carolina's final House Autry Family Fun Monday of the season. The Family Fun Monday game will include $8.00 box seat tickets, free parking and discounted concession items.
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