‘Cats and Ballers Split Saturday Doubleheader

The Mudcats won the opener 1-0, but dropped the second game 8-1

Matt Wood - Carolina Mudcats (Credit: Neal Hock)

April 29, 2023

ZEBULON, N.C. – With a season-high 4,252 on hand at Five County Stadium, the Carolina Mudcats finished with a de facto doubleheader split with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers on Saturday afternoon at Five County Stadium. Carolina (11-8) took the first game 1-0, but fell in the second 8-1 to the

The Mudcats won Saturday’s opener after breaking a scoreless tie in the eighth with a run-scoring single from Matt Wood. Daniel Guilarte walked and scored from second on Wood’s two-out single off reliever Zach Cable. Guilarte singled in both games of Saturday’s and has hit safely in 10 consecutive games.

The first game of Saturday’s doubleheader originally began on Friday night, but was suspended after the second due to heavy rain. The game resumed in the third with reliever Alexander Vallecillo pitching for the Mudcats in place of starter Patricio Aquino.

Vallecillo started his appearance by giving up a double to start the third, but went on to retire 15 consecutive batters while facing the minimum over five full innings. Vallecillo also totaled six strikeouts against just the one hit while helping the Mudcats pick up their second shutout of the season. Shane Smith worked the eighth and ninth and earned the win while holding the Cannon Ballers scoreless the rest of the way.

Carolina improved to 11-7 with their doubleheader opening victory, but would later fall victim to a series of misplays in the second game that helped lead to an 8-1 loss. The first such mistake was a missed pop up between second baseman Jadher Areinamo and first baseman Johnnys Cabrera in the third. Neither player caught what was a routine play to start the frame. That misplay was not ruled and error, and eventually led to two Kannapolis runs as starter Aidan Maldonado gave up two runs on three hits in the inning.

Kannapolis led 2-0 after the third, but Carolina pulled within one in the fifth with a run-scoring groundout from Guilarte. The Cannon Ballers, however, immediately answered Carolina’s lone fifth inning run with five run unearned runs in the sixth while taking a 7-1 lead. The sixth began with a fielding error by Cabrera at first and included run-scoring hits from Caberea Weaver, Brooks Baldwin and Tim Elko.

Reliever Tyler Wehrle allowed all five of the Cannon Ballers runs in the sixth, but all five were unearned. Wehrle originally pitched a three-up and three-down fifth before giving four hits in the sixth.

Bryce Willits brought in the final run of the game after connecting on a solo home run off Fernando Olguin in the seventh.

With the split, the Mudcats now hold a 3-2 lead in the six-game series. The finale is scheduled for Sunday afternoon beginning at 1:00 p.m. at Five County Stadium.

KAN: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
CAR: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 x 1 7 0

WP: Shane Smith (2 - 2) LP: Mason Adams (1 - 1)

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:
Glass, LF (Kannapolis): 1-for-3, 1 2B
Fernandez, E, CF (Carolina): 2-for-4, 1 2B
Wood, C (Carolina): 1-for-4, 1 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:
McDougal (Kannapolis): 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO
Adams (L, 1-1) (Kannapolis): 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO
Cable (Kannapolis): 0.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO
Aquino (Carolina): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO
Vallecillo (Carolina): 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 SO
Smith (W, 2-2) (Carolina): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO

SCORING:
Mudcats 8th (Mudcats 1, Cannon Ballers 0) -- Daniel Guilarte walks. Wild pitch by Mason Adams, Daniel Guilarte to 2nd. Gregory Barrios grounds out, Bryce Willits to Tim Elko. Pitcher Change: Zach Cable replaces Mason Adams. Eduarqui Fernandez singles to deep shortstop. Luke Adams strikes out on foul tip. Matthew Wood singles to left-center field, Daniel Guilarte scores; Eduarqui Fernandez to 2nd. Jace Avina walks, Eduarqui Fernandez to 3rd; Matthew Wood to 2nd. Hedbert Perez strikes out swinging.
(1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 3 LOB)

Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 8 @ Carolina Mudcats 1 (Game 2)
April 29, 2023 | Venue: Five County Stadium | First pitch: 7:20 PM | T: 2:20 | Att: 4,252 | Box Score

KAN: 0 0 2 0 0 5 1 8 10 0
CAR: 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 4 1

WP: Johnny Ray (2 - 0) LP: Aidan Maldonado (0 - 1)

HOME RUNS:
Kannapolis: HR: Willits (1, 7th inning off Olguin, 0 on, 0 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:
Baldwin, 3B (Kannapolis): 3-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI
Willits, 1B (Kannapolis): 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Pineda, C (Kannapolis): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI
Weaver, CF (Kannapolis): 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 RBI
Guilarte, SS (Carolina): 1-for-3, 1 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:
Pallette (Kannapolis): 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO
Ray (W, 2-0) (Kannapolis): 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO
Seidl (H, 1) (Kannapolis): 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO
Talavera (Kannapolis): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO
Maldonado, A (L, 0-1) (Carolina): 3 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO
Merkel (Carolina): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO

SCORING:
Cannon Ballers 3rd (Cannon Ballers 2, Mudcats 0) -- Wilber Sanchez struck out looking. Jordan Sprinkle singles to shallow right field. Brooks Baldwin singles up the middle, Jordan Sprinkle to 2nd. Tim Elko strikes out swinging. Wild pitch by Aidan Maldonado, Jordan Sprinkle scores; Brooks Baldwin to 3rd. Bryce Willits walks. Luis Pineda singles up the middle, Brooks Baldwin scores; Bryce Willits to 2nd. Drake Logan hit by pitch, Bryce Willits to 3rd; Luis Pineda to 2nd. Logan Glass strikes out swinging.
(2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors, 3 LOB)

Mudcats 5th (Cannon Ballers 2, Mudcats 1) -- Blayberg Diaz walks. Jhonnys Cabrera hit by pitch, Blayberg Diaz to 2nd. Kaylan Nicasia singles to right-center field, Blayberg Diaz to 3rd; Jhonnys Cabrera to 2nd. Daniel Guilarte grounds out, Wilber Sanchez to Bryce Willits, Blayberg Diaz scores; Jhonnys Cabrera to 3rd; Kaylan Nicasia to 2nd. Eduarqui Fernandez pops out to Luis Pineda. Luke Adams walks. Pitcher Change: Billy Seidl replaces Johnny Ray. Jace Avina struck out looking.
(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 3 LOB)

Cannon Ballers 6th (Cannon Ballers 7, Mudcats 1) -- Luis Pineda reaches on fielding error by Jhonnys Cabrera. Drake Logan singles up the middle, Luis Pineda to 2nd. Logan Glass strikes out swinging. Caberea Weaver singles up the middle, Luis Pineda scores; Drake Logan to 2nd. Wilber Sanchez reaches on a fielder's choice, fielded by Jadher Areinamo, Drake Logan to 3rd; Caberea Weaver to 2nd. Jordan Sprinkle pops out to Jadher Areinamo on the infield fly rule. Brooks Baldwin singles to right-center field, Drake Logan scores; Caberea Weaver scores; Wilber Sanchez to 3rd. Tim Elko singles to left field, Wilber Sanchez scores; Brooks Baldwin scores; Tim Elko out at 2nd on the throw, Eduarqui Fernandez to Daniel Guilarte to Jhonnys Cabrera to Jadher Areinamo.
(5 Runs, 4 Hits, 1 Errors, 0 LOB)

Cannon Ballers 7th (Cannon Ballers 8, Mudcats 1) -- Pitcher Change: Fernando Olguin replaces Tyler Wehrle. Bryce Willits hits a home run to right field on a 3-2 pitch. Luis Pineda pops out to Daniel Guilarte. Drake Logan grounds out, Luke Adams to Jhonnys Cabrera. Logan Glass strikes out swinging.
(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)