McInerney's Walk-Off Single Leads Carolina to 2-1 Series Clinching Win

ZEBULON, N.C. - Pat McInerney delivered a game winning walk-off single with bases loaded in the ninth and Tristen Lutz hit a game tying home run in the fourth as the Mudcats earned a 2-1 series clinching versus Potomac in front of a crowd of 5,416 at Five County Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Carolina (14-10) earned its second straight series victory, taking it two games to one, after sealing Sunday's series finale in walk-off fashion versus the Nationals (9-15). The walk-off win was Carolina's second of the season and McInerney's game winning hit came in just his third game of 2019.
With the game tied 1-1 in the ninth, the Mudcats went on to load the bases after reliever Frankie Bartow hit Lutz with a pitch to begin the final frame. Payton Henry followed with a line out to left, but then both Rob Henry and Ryan Aguilar reached on walks ahead of McInerney. Bartow (0-1, 1.20) and McInerney then locked up in an eight pitch at bat that ended with McInerney driving in the game winner on a full count pitch to center.
McInerney's game winning hit scored Lutz from and was his sixth hit of both the season and series. McInerney made his 2019 debut on April 26 in game one of the three game home series versus Potomac and ended up going 6-for-13 with five runs, two doubles, a home run and four RBI overall over three games against the Nationals.
Potomac did score first in Sunday's finale, but managed just the one run on three hits as starter Drew Rasmussen and relievers Matt Smith and Rodrigo Benoit stifled the P-Nats offense throughout most of the game. 
Rasmussen pitched the third and allowed all three Potomac hits and the lone Potomac run. He was unscored upon over the first two frames, but then gave up an infield hit to ninth place hitter Armond Upshaw to start the third and then a run scoring double to Nick Banks. Rasmussen went on to finish the third and ended his third start as a Mudcat with one run allowed on three hits over three innings pitched. He also struck out three and faced 12 batters.
Smith was nearly perfect in his relief appearance as he followed Rasmussen and worked through four scoreless frames with five strikeouts. Smith worked around a walk in the sixth with an inning ending 3-6-3 double play and ended up facing just 12 batters over four innings pitched. 
Benoit (1-0, 0.93) then worked the final two frames and earned the win after striking out one and facing seven over the eighth and ninth innings.
Grant Borne started for Potomac and pitched through five innings with one run allowed (Lutz's home run) on two hits. He also struck out three and did not walk a batter. Reliever Steven Fuentes followed and pitched through three scoreless innings with two hits allowed and two strikeouts.
UP NEXT: The Mudcats will next play in Salem, VA on Monday night as they take on the Salem Red Sox for the first time this season. Monday's game will begin at 7:05 p.m. at Haley Toyota Field in Salem and will feature RHP Noah Zavolas (1-1, 2.35) starting for Carolina. The game will air live on the Mudcats Radio Network, the Big Dawg 98.5 FM and online at carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio.
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