Late surge leads Mudcats to 11-6 victory

WOODBRIDGE, Va. - Corey Ray hit a game tying three-run double in the eighth, Isan Díaz had the go-ahead double in the ninth before Trent Clark broke the game open with a three-run home run as the Mudcats scored nine unanswered runs over the final four frames while defeating the Nationals 11-6 at Pfitzner Stadium on Friday night.

The Mudcats (37-33) trailed 6-2 in the fourth before Quintin Torres-Costa took over out of the bullpen and quieted the Potomac (34-38) offense. Torres-Costa held the Nationals scoreless over the next four and 1/3 innings and struck out six while giving his club a chance to stage their comeback. Eric Hanhold (4-2, 5.75) followed Torres-Costa in the eighth and earned the win after striking out three of the four he faced while finishing the game.
Carolina trailed 6-2 heading into the sixth before Clark doubled and scored to make it a three run game. The Mudcats later loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth before Ray came through with a first pitch, game tying double to right. 
Diaz then broke the tie with a two-run double in the ninth and Clark finished what became a five run final frame with a three-run homer to right. The home run was Clark's sixth of the season and was his third hit of the night.
Clark finished the game 3-for-5 with two runs, three RBIs and a no-doubt home run. Ray was also 3-for-5 with a run, three RBIs and two doubles. Diaz had a run scoring hit in the first and the go-ahead double in the ninth while going 2-for-5 with three RBIs. 
Lucas Erceg and Jake Gatewood also had multi-hit games as they both went 2-for-4 with one run each while hitting third and fourth respectively for the Mudcats.
The Mudcats led first in Friday's game after two early runs in the first inning off starter Hector Silvestre, but the Nationals managed to answer with a run of their own to cut the lead to 2-1 after one. Silvestre allowed the two in the first, but that was it over his five inning start. He also finished with two walks and seven strikeouts.
The Nationals followed their one run first with two more runs in the second, one in the third and then two more in the fourth while taking a 6-2 lead early in the game. 
Trey Supak started for Carolina and allowed six runs on seven hits over three and 1/3 innings pitched. He also finished with three walks and three strikeouts before giving way to Torres-Costa in the fourth.
Silvestre started for Potomac and left after the fifth with his club leading 6-2. Tyler Skulina then allowed a run in the sixth before then working through a scoreless seventh while holding the lead at 6-3. Skulina came back out for the eighth, but left with two on and with no outs in the inning. Ronald Peña followed and allowed both inherited runners to score on Ray's three-run, two-out double.
Skulina ending up allowing three runs on two hits while walking two and striking out two. Pena (BS, 2, 2-3, 5.32) suffered the loss and blown save after allowing five runs on four hits over one inning. He was also responsible for four of the five that scored in the ninth. Jorge Pantoja allowed Clark's home run in the ninth, but eventually worked through the rest of the fame without allowing another hit or run. 
The Mudcats totaled 11 runs on 15 hits in Friday's comeback victory and won for just the third time this season when trailing after the seventh. They finished the game 6-for-18 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base. They also had five players all finish with multi-hit games.
UP NEXT: The Mudcats and Nationals play game three of the series on Saturday night with the first pitch at Pfitzner Stadium scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Cody Ponce (5-5, 3.67) will start for Carolina in game three of the four game set on Saturday night in Potomac. The game will air on the Mudcats Radio Network, The Big Dawg 98.5 FM and online at carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio.
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