Mudcats Drop Series Finale 15-7 to Wood Ducks

ZEBULON – Joe Gray Jr. hit his league best tenth home run while extending his hitting streak to 14 consecutive games, Gabe Holt ran his hit streak to 13 straight and Felix Valerio doubled and homered, but the Mudcats fell 15-7 in the final game of a five-game series versus the Wood Ducks at Five County Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Down East (18-11) set season highs for runs and hits while taking Sunday’s series finale 15-7 over the Mudcats (18-11). The Wood Ducks ended up winning three of five in the series and left Five County Stadium in a tie for first with Carolina in the Low-A East Central division standings.

Despite the lopsided result, the game was tight early with neither side scoring until the second inning. The Wood Ducks struck first though after getting a two-run double to left from catcher Cody Freeman in the third. Carolina, however, came right back with two runs to tie it after getting Gray’s homer and a sac fly from Alex Hall in the same frame.

Gray’s home run came off starter Tyree Thompson and was Gray’s league leading 10th of the season. It was also his first of two hits in the game as he went 2-for-4 with a RBI and two runs scored.

Thompson was later ejected one batter and one pitch later after hitting Carolina’s next batter, Ernesto Martinez, with a pitch. Martinez would also be removed from the game after he started toward the mound and charged Thompson after being hit in the knee. Ashton McGee replaced Martinez and ended up scoring on Hall’s sac fly later in the inning.

The game was tied 2-2 through the fourth, but Carolina starter Brendan Murphy and reliever Juan Geraldo combined to allow six Down East runs in the fifth as the Wood Ducks broke it open with an 8-2 lead.

Murphy (2-1, 3.12) allowed an infield single and walked one in the fifth before leaving the game after reaching 77 pitches (39 strikes). Geraldo replaced Murphy and went on to allow three straight hits, including Freeman’s second run scoring double of the game.

Geraldo ended up recording just one out in the fifth and allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits before leaving. He also walked three while facing five. Murphy also walked five, struck out four and allowed four runs on four hits over four innings in the loss. Jackson Gillis went on to finish the fifth and retired two straight to get the Mudcats out of the inning. Gillis ended up pitching through two and 2/3 innings overall though and allowed three runs on two hits in his appearance.

Luisangel Acuna, Dustin Harris and Freeman each had run scoring hits in the fifth. In all, the Wood Ducks totaled five hits and scored six runs while breaking the game open 8-2.

Carolina came back with a run in the fifth on a home run from Valerio, but Down East went on to score once more in the sixth and twice more in the seventh. Their lone run in the sixth came on a home run from Evan Carter, while the two in the seventh were brought in with a homer from Keithron Moss.

The Wood Ducks led 11-3 going into the eighth, but the Mudcats rallied for three runs to cut the lead to 11-6. That three run frame featured three Carolina walks and several two Down East errors. Carolina’s five run deficit was short-lived though as the Wood Ducks rallied for back-to-back homers from Cristian Inoa and Obie Ricumstrict while taking a 15-6 lead in the ninth.

Peyton Long worked the final two frames for the Mudcats and allowed both ninth inning homers. Long ended up allowing four runs on four hits and struck out two.

Freddy Zamora later drove in the final run of the game to make it 15-7 after singling in Daniel Castillo in the ninth.

Carolina dropped three games in the series and finished at 2-3 in their five home games with the Wood Ducks. Sunday’s game was both the final game of the series with Down East and the final game of an 11 game (originally 12 as one game was lost due to rain) home stand at Five County Stadium. Carolina started the home stand at 6-0 with a series sweep of Kannapolis and finished at 8-3 after dropping the series with Down East.

HOME RUNS:
Down East HR : Carter (2, 6th inning off Gillis, 0 on, 1 out); Moss (2, 7th inning off Gillis, 1 on, 1 out); Inoa (2, 9th inning off Long, 2 on, 1 out); Ricumstrict (1, 9th inning off Long, 0 on, 1 out).

Carolina HR : Gray Jr. (10, 3rd inning off Thompson, 0 on, 1 out); Valerio, F (2, 5th inning off Laio, 0 on, 1 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:
Acuna, DH (Down East): 2-for-4, 2 R
Freeman, C (Down East): 3-for-3, 3 R, 2 2B, 3 RBI
Moss, 2B (Down East): 2-for-5, 2 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI
Inoa, 3B (Down East): 1-for-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI
Ricumstrict, RF (Down East): 1-for-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Gray Jr., RF (Carolina): 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Valerio, F, 3B (Carolina): 2-for-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Zamora, DH (Carolina): 1-for-4, 1 RBI
Holt, 2B (Carolina): 1-for-4, 1 R

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:
Gillis (Carolina): 2.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO
Laio (W, 3-1) (Down East): 3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO

SCORING PLAYS:
Wood Ducks 3rd (Wood Ducks 2, Mudcats 0) -- Jayce Easley grounds out, Daniel Castillo to Ernesto Martinez. Evan Carter walks. Luisangel Acuna walks, Evan Carter to 2nd. Evan Carter caught stealing 3rd base, Alex Hall to Felix Valerio, Luisangel Acuna to 2nd. Dustin Harris walks. Luisangel Acuna steals 3rd base. Cody Freeman doubles to left field, Luisangel Acuna scores; Dustin Harris scores. Keyber Rodriguez flies out to Arbert Cipion.
(2 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Mudcats 3rd (Wood Ducks 2, Mudcats 2) -- Freddy Zamora lines out to Keyber Rodriguez. Joe Gray Jr. hits a home run to left field on a 1-0 pitch. Ernesto Martinez hit by pitch. Offensive Substitution: Pinch runner Ashton McGee replaces Ernesto Martinez. Pitcher Change: Nic Laio replaces Tyree Thompson. Felix Valerio doubles to right field, Ashton McGee to 3rd. Alex Hall out on a sacrifice fly to Evan Carter, Ashton McGee scores. Daniel Castillo grounds out, Nic Laio to Dustin Harris.
(2 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Wood Ducks 5th (Wood Ducks 8, Mudcats 2) -- Jayce Easley singles to deep shortstop. Evan Carter walks, Jayce Easley to 2nd. Pitcher Change: Juan Geraldo replaces Brendan Murphy. Luisangel Acuna singles to left-center field, Jayce Easley scores; Evan Carter to 3rd; Luisangel Acuna to 2nd; throwing error by Andre Nnebe. Dustin Harris singles to left-center field, Evan Carter scores; Luisangel Acuna to 3rd. Cody Freeman doubles to left field, Luisangel Acuna scores; Dustin Harris to 3rd. Keyber Rodriguez pops out to Ashton McGee in foul territory. Keithron Moss singles through the hole at second base, Dustin Harris scores; Cody Freeman scores; Keithron Moss advances to 3rd on throwing error by Joe Gray Jr. Pitcher Change: Jackson Gillis replaces Juan Geraldo. Cristian Inoa grounds out, Felix Valerio to Ashton McGee, Keithron Moss scores. Obie Ricumstrict flies out to Arbert Cipion.
(6 Runs, 5 Hits, 2 Errors, 0 LOB)

Mudcats 5th (Wood Ducks 8, Mudcats 3) -- Ashton McGee grounds out, Keithron Moss to Dustin Harris. Felix Valerio hits a home run to left field on a 3-1 pitch. Alex Hall strikes out swinging. Daniel Castillo strikes out swinging.
(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)

Wood Ducks 6th (Wood Ducks 9, Mudcats 3) -- Jayce Easley grounds out, Felix Valerio to Ashton McGee. Evan Carter hits a home run to right field on a 1-0 pitch. Luisangel Acuna strikes out swinging. Dustin Harris grounds out, Gabe Holt to Ashton McGee.
(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)

Wood Ducks 7th (Wood Ducks 11, Mudcats 3) -- Cody Freeman walks. Keyber Rodriguez flies out to Arbert Cipion. Cody Freeman steals 2nd base. throwing error by Alex Hall. Keithron Moss hits a home run to left-center field on a 1-1 pitch, Cody Freeman scores. Cristian Inoa grounds out, Jackson Gillis to Ashton McGee. Obie Ricumstrict flies out to Joe Gray Jr.
(2 Runs, 1 Hits, 1 Errors, 0 LOB)

Mudcats 8th (Wood Ducks 11, Mudcats 6) -- Randy Florentino remains in the game as the first baseman. Defensive Substitution: Thomas Saggese replaces shortstop Keyber Rodriguez, batting 5th, playing shortstop. Antonio Cabello remains in the game as the left fielder. Andre Nnebe pops out to Thomas Saggese. Arbert Cipion walks. Gabe Holt walks. Freddy Zamora flies out to Evan Carter. Joe Gray Jr. walks, Gabe Holt to 2nd. Pitcher Change: Leury Tejada replaces Joshua Javier. Ashton McGee reaches on fielding error by Randy Florentino, Arbert Cipion scores; Gabe Holt to 3rd; Joe Gray Jr. to 2nd. Felix Valerio reaches on fielding error by Evan Carter, Gabe Holt scores; Joe Gray Jr. scores; Ashton McGee to 3rd. Alex Hall strikes out swinging.
(3 Runs, 0 Hits, 2 Errors, 2 LOB)

Wood Ducks 9th (Wood Ducks 15, Mudcats 6) -- Cody Freeman singles to left-center field. Cody Freeman steals 2nd base. Thomas Saggese singles to left-center field, Cody Freeman to 3rd. Thomas Saggese steals 2nd base. Keithron Moss grounds out, Gabe Holt to Ashton McGee. Cristian Inoa hits a home run to left-center field on a 1-0 pitch, Cody Freeman scores; Thomas Saggese scores. Obie Ricumstrict hits a home run to left-center field on a 0-0 pitch. Antonio Cabello flies out to Arbert Cipion. Evan Carter flies out to Arbert Cipion.
(4 Runs, 4 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)

Mudcats 9th (Wood Ducks 15, Mudcats 7) -- Daniel Castillo reaches on fielding error by Keithron Moss. Andre Nnebe strikes out swinging. Arbert Cipion walks, Daniel Castillo to 2nd. Gabe Holt flies out to Evan Carter, Daniel Castillo to 3rd. Freddy Zamora singles to right field, Daniel Castillo scores; Arbert Cipion to 2nd. Joe Gray Jr. grounds into a force out, fielded by Cristian Inoa, Arbert Cipion out at 3rd.
(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 1 Errors, 2 LOB)