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Mudcats End Skid With 16-4 Victory in Fayetteville

Gray, Campbell and Nnebe all homered as Carolina ended a seven-game losing streak in Fayetteville
(Evan Moesta)
July 3, 2021

Carolina 16 @ Fayetteville 4 July 03, 2021 | Venue : SEGRA Stadium | First pitch : 6:05 PM | Att : 5,817 | T : 3:34 WP: Nick Belzer (4 - 2) LP: Alex Santos II (0 - 2) SV: Joey Matulovich (1) FAYETTEVILLE – Joe Gray Jr. hit

Carolina 16 @ Fayetteville 4

July 03, 2021 | Venue : SEGRA Stadium | First pitch : 6:05 PM | Att : 5,817 | T : 3:34

WP: Nick Belzer (4 - 2) LP: Alex Santos II (0 - 2) SV: Joey Matulovich (1)

FAYETTEVILLE – Joe Gray Jr. hit a go-ahead home run in the fifth, Noah Campbell sparked a ten run seventh with a two-run homer and Andre Nnebe hit a solo shot in the ninth as the Mudcats snapped a seven game losing streak with a 16-4 victory on Saturday night versus Fayetteville at SEGRA Stadium.

Carolina (29-23) originally jumped out to an early 4-0 lead with two-run doubles from Alex Hall and Ashton McGee in the second and third innings, but the Woodpeckers (22-30) came back with a run in the third and three in the fourth while tying the game at 4-4.

Gray then broke the tie with his solo home run in the fifth just two innings before the Carolina offense rallied for 10 runs while going up 15-4. The final run of the game came in the ninth when Nnebe hit a solo home run to make it 16-4.

The ten run seventh started with Campbell’s two-run home run and continued with consecutive run scoring bases loaded walks from Freddy Zamora and Gray. That ten-run frame also included a two-run single from McGee and a two-run double by Nnebe.

McGee went 3-for-4 with a double and a career best four RBI in the game. Nnebe also set a career high with four hits while going 4-for-6 with a double, a home run, two runs and three RBI. Nnebe’s multi-hit game was also his first with the Mudcats this season. Gabe Holt walked a career high four times in the game and went 1-for-3 with two runs overall.

Gray’s home run in the fifth was his Low-A East leading 12th of the season and helped bring his MiLB leading RBI total to 53 for the season. Gray went 1-for-4 with two runs, two RBI and two walks in the game. The home run was also the only run allowed by reliever Alex Santos during his two and 1/3 inning outing. Santos (0-2, 4.50) walked five and allowed a run on three hits in the loss.

Carolina used just two pitchers in the game with starter Nick Belzer earning the win after pitching through the fifth and reliever Joey Matulovich getting the save after working the final four frames.

Belzer (4-2, 5.04) struck out three, walked one and allowed four runs on six hits while earning the win. Matulovch (S, 1) gave up a couple of hits, walked two and struck out two while pitching through four scoreless innings.

The series will conclude on Sunday with the first pitch scheduled for 2:00 p.m. in Fayetteville. The Woodpeckers lead the current seven-game series five games to one.

HOME RUNS:

Carolina HR : Gray Jr. (12, 5th inning off Santos, 0 on, 0 out); Campbell (2, 7th inning off Jaquez, 1 on, 0 out); Nnebe (2, 9th inning off Ramirez, Y, 0 on, 1 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:

Nnebe, LF (Carolina): 4-for-6, 2 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI

McGee, 1B (Carolina): 3-for-4, 0 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 4 RBI

Hall, A, C (Carolina): 3-for-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI

Campbell, 3B (Carolina): 2-for-6, 3 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Gray Jr., CF (Carolina): 1-for-5, 2 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Correa, SS (Fayetteville): 3-for-3, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

Dirden, RF (Fayetteville): 1-for-2, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI

Ramirez, Y, 2B-P (Fayetteville): 1-for-4, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:

Belzer (W, 4-2) (Carolina): 5 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO

Matulovich (S, 1) (Carolina): 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO

Santos (L, 0-2) (Fayetteville): 2.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 1 SO

SCORING PLAYS:

Mudcats 2nd (Mudcats 2, Woodpeckers 0) -- Felix Valerio grounds out, Sean Mendoza to Luke Berryhill. Ashton McGee singles up the middle. Joey Wiemer flies into a force out, Kenedy Corona to Yeuris Ramirez to J.C. Correa, Ashton McGee out at 2nd. Noah Campbell singles through the hole at second base, Joey Wiemer to 3rd. Noah Campbell steals 2nd base. Alex Hall doubles to right field, Joey Wiemer scores; Noah Campbell scores. Andre Nnebe struck out looking.

(2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Mudcats 3rd (Mudcats 4, Woodpeckers 0) -- Gabe Holt singles to left-center field. Passed ball by Nathan Perry, Gabe Holt to 2nd. Freddy Zamora walks. Joe Gray Jr. strikes out on foul tip. Felix Valerio singles to deep shortstop, Gabe Holt to 3rd; Freddy Zamora to 2nd. Ashton McGee doubles down the right-field line, Gabe Holt scores; Freddy Zamora scores; Felix Valerio to 3rd. Joey Wiemer walks. Noah Campbell flies into double play, Zach Daniels to Nathan Perry, Felix Valerio out at home.

(2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)

Woodpeckers 3rd (Mudcats 4, Woodpeckers 1) -- Luke Berryhill grounds out, Noah Campbell to Ashton McGee. Yeuris Ramirez singles to right field. Yeuris Ramirez steals 2nd base. Yeuris Ramirez steals 3rd base. Kenedy Corona singles to center field, Yeuris Ramirez scores. Kenedy Corona caught stealing 2nd base, Alex Hall to Freddy Zamora. Nathan Perry strikes out swinging.

(1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)

Woodpeckers 4th (Mudcats 4, Woodpeckers 4) -- J.C. Correa singles to center field. J.C. Correa steals 2nd base. Nerio Rodriguez walks. Justin Dirden singles to right-center field, J.C. Correa scores; Nerio Rodriguez to 3rd. Sean Mendoza out on a sacrifice fly to Andre Nnebe, Nerio Rodriguez scores. Justin Dirden steals 2nd base. Zach Daniels singles to right field, Justin Dirden scores; Zach Daniels out at 2nd on the throw, Joey Wiemer to Ashton McGee to Freddy Zamora. Luke Berryhill struck out looking.

(3 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)

Mudcats 5th (Mudcats 5, Woodpeckers 4) -- Joe Gray Jr. hits a home run to left field on a 3-1 pitch. Felix Valerio walks. Felix Valerio steals 2nd base. Ashton McGee walks. Joey Wiemer grounds out, Yeuris Ramirez to Luke Berryhill, Felix Valerio to 3rd; Ashton McGee to 2nd. Noah Campbell grounds out, Sean Mendoza to Luke Berryhill. Alex Hall flies out to Zach Daniels.

(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)

Mudcats 7th (Mudcats 15, Woodpeckers 4) -- Joey Wiemer walks. Joey Wiemer steals 2nd base. Noah Campbell hits a home run to right-center field on a 2-1 pitch, Joey Wiemer scores. Alex Hall walks. Andre Nnebe singles to left-center field, Alex Hall to 2nd. Gabe Holt walks, Alex Hall to 3rd; Andre Nnebe to 2nd. Freddy Zamora walks, Alex Hall scores; Andre Nnebe to 3rd; Gabe Holt to 2nd. Joe Gray Jr. walks, Andre Nnebe scores; Gabe Holt to 3rd; Freddy Zamora to 2nd. Pitcher Change: Ronny Garcia replaces Ernesto Jaquez. Felix Valerio reaches on throwing error by J.C. Correa, Gabe Holt scores; Freddy Zamora to 3rd; Joe Gray Jr. to 2nd. Ashton McGee singles up the middle, Freddy Zamora scores; Joe Gray Jr. scores; Felix Valerio to 3rd. Joey Wiemer out on a sacrifice fly to Kenedy Corona, Felix Valerio scores. Noah Campbell grounds into a force out, J.C. Correa to Yeuris Ramirez, Ashton McGee out at 2nd. Alex Hall singles to right field, Noah Campbell to 2nd. Andre Nnebe doubles to right field, Noah Campbell scores; Alex Hall scores. Gabe Holt walks. Freddy Zamora lines out to Yeuris Ramirez.

(10 Runs, 5 Hits, 1 Errors, 2 LOB)

Mudcats 9th (Mudcats 16, Woodpeckers 4) -- Defensive Substitution: Yohander Martinez replaces Nerio Rodriguez, batting 4th, playing 2nd. Pitcher Change: Yeuris Ramirez replaces Yohander Martinez, batting 9th. Alex Hall grounds out, Sean Mendoza to Luke Berryhill. Andre Nnebe hits a home run to left field on a 0-0 pitch. Gabe Holt walks. Freddy Zamora lines out to Zach Daniels. Joe Gray Jr. lines out to Zach Daniels.

(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)