Mudcats Get 1-0 Game 1 Victory; Game 2 Suspended

Game 2 of Sunday's de facto doubleheader was suspended due to rain after the first and will be made up on a later date in Fayetteville

Hedbert Perez - Carolina Mudcats (Credit: Neal Hock)

July 9, 2023

FAY: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0
CAR: 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 x 1 6 0

WP: Patricio Aquino (3 - 3) LP: Trey Dombroski (3 - 7) SV: Yerlin Rodriguez (2)

ZEBULON, N.C. - Jadher Areinamo started the seventh with a double and went on to score the only run in a 1-0 Carolina Mudcats victory versus the Fayetteville Woodpeckers in Game 1 of Sunday’s de facto doubleheader at Five County Stadium. Starter Logan Henderson and relievers Patricio Aquino and Yerlin Rodriguez combined on a five-hit shutout of the visiting Woodpeckers while leading the Mudcats to their third straight victory.

The second game of Sunday’s doubleheader, featuring the regularly scheduled series finale between the two teams, was suspended after the first with the Mudcats (7-7, 40-37) leading the 2-0. The suspended game will resume in Fayetteville on a yet-to-be-determined date.

Game 1 was scoreless through the sixth before Areinamo doubled to start the seventh. He went on to advance to third on a single to left from Gregory Barrios and scored moments later on a force at second grounded into by Jesus Chirinos. That lone run would be enough as Henderson, Aquino and Rodriguez combined to stifle the Woodpeckers (5-9, 35-45) from start to finish.

Henderson originally started Game 1 back when it first started on Saturday and gave the Mudcats four scoreless innings before rain suspended the game in the last of the fourth. Aquino (W, 3-3) took over when the game resumed as part of Sunday’s doubleheader and worked from the fifth through eighth with six strikeouts. Rodriguez (S, 2) took over in the ninth and earned his second straight save while striking out two of four faced in the finale frame.

Manuel Urias started for the Woodpeckers and pitched through three and 2/3 scoreless before the game was rained out. Trey Dombroski (L, 3-7) entered when the game resumed on Sunday and took it the rest of the way while going through four and 1/3 with one run, two hits and three strikeouts.

The Game 1 win cliched a series victory for the Mudcats as it gave them a 4-1 lead in the series. The victory was also Carolina’s third straight and brought them to an even .500 in the second half at 7-7. The series victory, meanwhile, was Carolina’s first since taking five of six in Lynchburg May 30 through June 4.

Following the Game 1 victory, Carolina later went on to score twice in the first in Game 2 off starter Luis Angel Rodriguez, but the game was stopped after the first inning due to an incoming storm. Luke Adams walked and scored on a double steal from third that also saw a throwing error push Luis Lara to third. Barrios then brought in Lara with a sac fly as the Mudcats built the early 2-0 lead. Game 2, featuring a seven-inning game, will resume in Fayetteville when the Mudcats travel to the Woodpeckers the first week of August.

GAME 1:

STOLEN BASES:
Carolina: Barrios (19, 2nd base off Urias/Encarnacion, L).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:
Encarnacion, L, C (Fayetteville): 2-for-4
Areinamo, 3B (Carolina): 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 2B
Chirinos, 1B (Carolina): 1-for-3, 01 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:
Urias (Fayetteville): 3.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO
Dombroski (L, 3-7) (Fayetteville): 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO
Henderson (Carolina): 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO
Aquino (W, 3-3) (Carolina): 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO
Rodriguez (S, 2) (Carolina): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO

SCORING:
Mudcats 7th (Mudcats 1, Woodpeckers 0) -- Jadher Areinamo doubles to left field. Jace Avina singles to left-center field, Jadher Areinamo to 3rd. Jesus Chirinos grounds into a force out, Jackson Loftin to Dauri Lorenzo, Jadher Areinamo scores; Jace Avina out at 2nd. Kay-Lan Nicasia flies out to Frank Perez. Alexander Perez flies out to Zachary Cole .
(1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)