Duarte and Astros Hand Mudcats Third Straight Loss

BUIES CREEK, NC - Osvaldo Duarte hit a game tying home run in the fifth and broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth with a go-ahead, two-out RBI single as the Astros won their seventh straight game, 3-1 versus the Mudcats on Sunday afternoon at Jim Perry Stadium in Buies Creek.

Duarte's home run in the fifth tied the game at 1-1 and was the first hit of the game for the Astros (9-2, 46-34). It was also his first of three straight hits late in the game as he went 3-for-4 with a home run, a stolen base, two runs and two RBI.
The Mudcats (5-5, 39-41) led first in Sunday's game as they rallied for a run and three hits in the opening frame to take a 1-0 lead on starter Brady Rodgers and the Astros. Joangtel Segovia started that early rally as he singled and scored on a RBI hit to right from Demi Orimoloye in the first. Segovia went 2-for-4 in the game while stretching his current hitting streak to nine straight games. 
Carolina's 1-0 lead held through the fourth as starter Devin Williams pitched through three no-hit frames while striking out two. He was followed by Nathan Kirby who then went on to toss a scoreless fourth before allowing Duarte's home run to start the fifth. 
Kirby ended up pitching through two and 2/3 innings and finished with just the one run allowed on two hits. He also walked two and struck out three.
Conor Harber entered in place of Kirby with two outs in the sixth and finished the frame with a runner left on base. He also stranded three in the seventh while working out of a bases loaded jam and holding the 1-1 tie. Harber (3-4, 2.53) then walked Corey Julks to start the eighth before allowing Duarte's two-out, go-ahead single to right. Duarte later went to steal second and reached third on a throwing error by catcher Nathan Rodriguez before scoring a wild pitch. 
Nattino Diplan eventually finished the eighth in place of Harber and threw just one pitch while inducing a groundout to end the inning. Harber walked four, struck out three and allowed two runs and two hits in the loss.
Carolina out-hit the Astros in the loss after totaling five hits in the game, including four against Rodgers. Reliever Brett Adcock entered in place of Rodgers in the fifth and went on to earn the win after holding Carolina to just one hit over five scoreless innings in relief.
Rodgers allowed a run on four hits over four innings and struck out two. Adcock (5-3, 2.88) allowed just the one hit, walked two and struck out one while leading the Buies Creek to its second straight win in the series. 
The split, away/home, series will continue on Monday night in Zebulon as it shifts to Five County Stadium. The Mudcats trail in the series 0-2 and will begin a new seven game home stand with game three of the four game set on Monday night. The first pitch of Monday's game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. The game will air on the Mudcats Radio Network, the Big Dawg 98.5 FM and via TuneIn Radio at carolinamudcats.com.
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