Mudcats earn doubleheader split with Wilmington

ZEBULON, N.C. - The Mudcats committed three costly errors while losing game one of Saturday's doubleheader 4-3, but Jake Gatewood drove in three and Jordan Yamamoto tossed a complete game shutout as the Mudcats took game two 5-0 while splitting Saturday's twin bill against the Blue Rocks at Five County Stadium.

The Mudcats (53-51, 17-19) took a two games to one lead in the series after splitting Saturday's doubleheader with the visiting Blue Rocks (57-49, 18-18). The game one loss snapped Carolina's win streak at four straight games, but the Mudcats improved to 5-1 over their last six after getting a shutout victory in game two.
Carolina also improved to 7-6 in shutouts this season after Yamamoto (4-3, 2.96) worked through a complete game gem in game two. Yamamoto struck out seven, walked three and scattered four hits over seven scoreless and pitched to a season high game score of 75 in game two. It was his second straight complete game victory and his fourth quality start of the season.
Game one, meanwhile, featured a game tying home run in the sixth from Lucas Erceg, but also included three costly errors that led to two unearned Wilmington runs. Erceg's home run was his 12th of the season and was third over his last three games.
The sixth inning homer from Erceg tied the game at 3-3, but Wilmington's D.J. Burt answered with the go-ahead run in the seventh while leading the Blue Rocks to the 4-3 victory. Burt started the seventh with a double, stole third and later scored on a two-out wild pitch lost by reliever Brad Kuntz in the final frame.
Kuntz (3-4, 2.70) suffered the loss despite striking out six and allowing just the one run on one hit over three and 1/3 innings pitched. He originally entered game one in place of starter Marcos Diplan and after Diplan had fallen into a bases loaded jam in the fourth. Kuntz eventually worked the Mudcats out of the fourth, but allowed an inherited runner to score in the process. Diplan allowed one earned run, but three total runs on just two hits over three and 2/3 in the start for the Mudcats.
Wilmington led 3-1 after its half of the fourth, but the Mudcats went on to rally for a run in the bottom side to pull within one at 3-2. Cooper Hummel drove in Carolina's lone run in the fourth after connecting on a bases loaded RBI single to left off Wilmington's starter A.J. Puckett. Hummel went 2-for-2 with a RBI in game one for Carolina.
Puckett (9-7, 3.90) gave up three runs on seven hits, walked three and struck out three in the victory. Luis Rico later pitched the last of the seventh and earned the save after striking out one and facing only three in the final frame.
The Mudcats were charged were with two errors in the second and one more error in the fourth, forcing two of the three Wilmington runs to be unearned in the game.
Erceg and Hummel led the way offensively for the Mudcats in game one, but it was Gatewood and Luis Aviles Jr. who lead the way behind Yamamoto's gem in game two.
The Mudcats led first in game two after Gatewood brought in Monte Harrison with a two-out RBI single to right. They then took a 4-0 lead in the third when Gatewood drove in two with a two-run double to right-center and Aviles brought in one with a sacrifice fly to center. Aviles later had a RBI single in the fifth while stretching the Carolina lead to 5-0 late in the twin bill shortened game.
Gatewood finished game two 2-for-3 with three RBIs and his team leading 33rd double of the season. Aviles went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and both Harrison and Isan Díaz scored twice in the 5-0 game two win.
UP NEXT: The Mudcats and Blue Rocks will play the final game of their four game series on Sunday with the first pitch scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at Five County Stadium. The game will air on the Mudcats Radio Network, The Big Dawg 98.5 FM and online at carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio. It will also stream via live video on MiLB.tv.
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