Castillo Hits Late Go-Ahead Homer in 5-3 Victory

Kannapolis 3 @ Carolina 5
August 03, 2022 | Venue : Five County Stadium | First pitch : 7:04 PM | Att : 583 | T : 2:26

KAN: 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 3 8 0
CAR: 0 1 0 2 0 0 1 1 x 5 9 0

WP: Jeison Pena (2 - 0) LP: Bowen Plagge (1 - 4) SV: Brannon Jordan (3)

ZEBULON – Luis Castillo hit a go-ahead home run in the seventh, Jose Sibrian had a go-ahead two-run double in the fourth, Eduardo Garcia hit a solo home run in the second and pitchers Stiven Cruz, Jeison Pena, Karlos Morales and Brannon Jordan combined total 15 strikeouts as the Carolina Mudcats (15-17, 49-49) earned a series tying 5-3 victory versus the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (19-13, 45-53) on Wednesday night at Five County Stadium.

Castillo led the way for the Mudcats as he went 3-for-4 with his third hit being a go-ahead home run with two-outs in the seventh off reliever Bowen Plagge. The home run broke a 3-3 tie and was Castillo’s first with the Mudcats since joining the team one game earlier. Carolina later added to its lead to make it 5-3 with an Eduardqui Fernandez RBI single off reliever Rigo Fernandez.

With the Mudcats up 5-3 in the ninth, Jordan (S, 3) would go on to seal the victory with two strikeouts in the ninth en route to his third save. Morales helped setup the save chance for Jordan after he turned in a scoreless eighth. Pena was the first man up out of the bullpen and earned the win after going through two scoreless with three strikeouts and one hit allowed. Cruz started and matched a career-high with nine strikeouts while working through the fifth. He also issued just one walk and allowed three runs on six hits while finishing without a decision.

Plagge (1-4) took the loss for Kannapolis with his only run allowed over three and 1/3 innings pitched being Castillo’s home run in the seventh. Fernandez pitched just the eighth and allowed run on two hits. Kohl Simas started and gave up three runs on five hits over three and 2/3 for the Cannon Ballers.

Garcia’s home run in the second originally gave the Mudcats a 1-0 lead, but the Cannon Ballers answered with two in the fourth after getting consecutive RBI doubles from Wilfred Veras and Colby Smelley off Cruz. Sibrian went on to answer that two-run rally with a two-run double off Simas in that same fourth as Carolina regained its one-run lead at 3-2. A home run, however, by Andy Atwood off Cruz in the fifth tied the game at 3-3. The home run was the 13th allowed by Cruz this season, tying him for the second most homers allowed in the Carolina League this season.

The victory lifted the Mudcats into a 1-1 tie in the series and snapped a six-game losing streak for the Mudcats against the Cannon Ballers. The series will continue on Thursday night with RHP Miguel Segura starting for the Mudcats.

HOME RUNS:
Kannapolis: Atwood (4, 5th inning off Cruz, 0 on, 2 out).

Carolina: Garcia, E (10, 2nd inning off Simas, 0 on, 0 out); Castillo (1, 7th inning off Plagge, 0 on, 2 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:
Castillo, LF (Carolina): 3-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Garcia, E, SS (Carolina): 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Fernandez, CF (Carolina): 1-for-4, 1 RBI
Sibrian, C (Carolina): 1-for-3, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Atwood, SS (Kannapolis): 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Veras, W, 1B (Kannapolis): 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Smelley, DH (Kannapolis): 1-for-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:
Cruz (Carolina): 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 9 SO
Pena, Je (W, 2-0) (Carolina): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO
Morales (H, 2) (Carolina): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO
Jordan (S, 3) (Carolina): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO
Simas (Kannapolis): 3.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO
Plagge (L, 1-4) (Kannapolis): 3.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO
Fernandez (Kannapolis): 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO

SCORING:
Mudcats 2nd (Mudcats 1, Cannon Ballers 0) -- Eduardo Garcia hits a home run to left-center field on a 1-1 pitch. Eduarqui Fernandez grounds out, Andy Atwood to Wilfred Veras. Zack Raabe grounds out, Wes Kath to Wilfred Veras. Jose Sibrian grounds out, Wes Kath to Wilfred Veras.
(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)

Cannon Ballers 4th (Cannon Ballers 2, Mudcats 1) -- Wes Kath singles to right-center field. Wes Kath advances to 2nd on a balk. DJ Gladney strikes out swinging. Wilfred Veras doubles to right-center field, Wes Kath scores. Colby Smelley doubles to left-center field, Wilfred Veras scores. Logan Glass struck out looking. Victor Torres lines out to Eduardo Garcia.
(2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Mudcats 4th (Mudcats 3, Cannon Ballers 2) -- Eduardo Garcia singles to center field. Eduarqui Fernandez strikes out swinging. Zack Raabe walks, Eduardo Garcia to 2nd. Eduardo Garcia advances to 3rd on a balk; Zack Raabe advances to 2nd on a balk. Jose Sibrian doubles to left-center field, Eduardo Garcia scores; Zack Raabe scores. Jheremy Vargas strikes out on foul tip. Pitcher Change: Bowen Plagge replaces Kohl Simas. Jadher Areinamo grounds out, Wes Kath to Wilfred Veras.
(2 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Cannon Ballers 5th (Cannon Ballers 3, Mudcats 3) -- Brandon Bossard hit by pitch. James Beard strikes out swinging, Jose Sibrian, Brandon Bossard out at 2nd,James Beard out on batter interference. Andy Atwood hits a home run down the left-field line on a 0-0 pitch. Wes Kath walks. DJ Gladney strikes out swinging.
(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Mudcats 7th (Mudcats 4, Cannon Ballers 3) -- Jheremy Vargas struck out looking. Jadher Areinamo flies out to DJ Gladney. Luis Castillo hits a home run to right field on a 0-0 pitch. Hedbert Perez struck out looking.
(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)

Mudcats 8th (Mudcats 5, Cannon Ballers 3) -- Pitcher Change: Rigo Fernandez replaces Bowen Plagge. Jesus Chirinos singles to center field. Offensive Substitution: Pinch runner Alberis Ferrer replaces Jesus Chirinos. Eduardo Garcia flies out to DJ Gladney. Alberis Ferrer steals 2nd base. Eduarqui Fernandez singles up the middle, Alberis Ferrer scores. Eduarqui Fernandez caught stealing 2nd base, Victor Torres to Andy Atwood. Zack Raabe flies out to DJ Gladney.
(1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)