Mudcats Hold Off Cannon Ballers in 11-6 Victory

ZEBULON – Ernesto Martinez hit a two-run home run in the first, Noah Campbell had three hits and Darrien Miller hit his first home run as the Mudcats defeated Kannapolis for the second straight night 11-6 on Wednesday at Five County Stadium.

Martinez got the Mudcats (12-8) going in two big moments in the game as his two-run homer in the first gave Carolina the early lead and his leadoff single in the seventh sparked a five-run rally. Martinez went 2-for-4 with two runs, a home run and two RBI.

Carolina led 2-0 on the Martinez home run in the first, but Kannapolis (2-18) came back with a big fly from Lency Delgado their half of the second. Miller then answered with his first career homer in the Carolina half of the second while putting the Mudcats up 3-1.

Felix Valerio then extended the Carolina lead to 5-1 in the third with a two-out, two-run single and a two-out run scoring hit from Joe Gray Jr. in the fourth put the Mudcats up 6-1.

Kannapolis scored once in the fifth when Jose Rodriguez doubled in a run and then went on to rally for four in the seventh while tying the game at 6-6.

The Kannapolis seventh started with a triple from James Beard off Carolina reliever Abner Uribe and continued with a RBI single by Tyler Osik. The very next pitch was an inside fastball that nearly hit Rodriguez. An altercation between Uribe and Rodriguez ensued and both benches cleared. Both sides eventually returned to their dugouts and Rodriguez was ejected from the game.

Uribe remained in the game following the Rodriguez ejection, but went on to walk the pinch-hitter that replaced Rodriguez and then gave up a game-tying three-run home run to Bryan Ramos.

Juan Geraldo eventually replaced Uribe in the seventh and managed to get Carolina out of the inning. Uribe allowed four runs on three hits over 2/3 of an inning and took a blown save. Geraldo (2-2, 5.40), however, picked up the victory after the Mudcats rallied back with five two-out runs in the seventh while breaking the tie and going up 11-6.

With the game tied at 6-6, Martinez then started the seventh with a single and later scored on a two-out, go-ahead RBI double from Castillo. That double came off reliever Corey Stone who had replaced reliever Dilmer Mejia in the seventh. Stone then went on to issue two bases loaded walks before leaving the game. Reliever Brandon Jenkins entered and gave up a two-run double to Gray. Jenkins was the third pitcher to work for the seventh for Kannapolis. The inning was originally started by reliever Dilmer Mejia. Mejia first came into the game in the third in place of starter Angel Acevedo and threw well up until leaving in the seventh.

Geraldo was the fourth and final pitcher of the night for Carolina. He was preceded by starter Joey Matulovich and reliever Miguel Guerrero. Matulovich struck out five over three and 2/3 and allowed one run. Guerrero struck out three over two and 1/3 in the game for the Mudcats.

The victory was Carolina’s second straight and put Carolina up 2-0 in the series.

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HOME RUNS:

Kannapolis: Delgado (1, 2nd inning off Matulovich, 0 on, 2 out); Ramos (1, 7th inning off Uribe, 2 on, 1 out).

Carolina: Martinez, E (5, 1st inning off Acevedo, 1 on, 2 out); Miller (1, 2nd inning off Acevedo, 0 on, 2 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:
Delgado, 2B (Kannapolis): 3-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Osik, 1B (Kannapolis): 2-for-3, 2 R, 1 RBI
Ramos, DH (Kannapolis): 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Beard, RF (Kannapolis): 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 3B
Holt, 2B (Carolina): 1-for-3, 3 R, 1 RBI
Campbell, 1B (Carolina): 3-for-4, 2 R, 1 RBI
Gray Jr., CF (Carolina): 2-for-5, 0 R, 1 2B, 3 RBI
Martinez, E, DH (Carolina): 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Miller, C (Carolina): 1-for-3, 2 R, 0 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:
Matulovich (Carolina): 3.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO
Guerrero (Carolina): 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO
Geraldo (W, 2-2) (Carolina): 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO
Jenkins (Kannapolis): 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO

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SCORING SUMMARY:
Mudcats 1st (Mudcats 2, Cannon Ballers 0) -- Gabe Holt grounds out, Lency Delgado to Tyler Osik. Noah Campbell singles to center field. Joe Gray Jr. grounds out, DJ Gladney to Tyler Osik, Noah Campbell to 2nd. Ernesto Martinez hits a home run to right field on a 1-2 pitch, Noah Campbell scores. Joey Wiemer flies out to James Beard.
(2 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)

Cannon Ballers 2nd (Mudcats 2, Cannon Ballers 1) -- Bryan Ramos flies out to Joey Wiemer. DJ Gladney flies out to Joey Wiemer. Lency Delgado hits a home run to right field on a 0-1 pitch. Benyamin Bailey grounds out, Daniel Castillo to Noah Campbell.
(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)

Mudcats 2nd (Mudcats 3, Cannon Ballers 1) -- Felix Valerio grounds out, Jose Rodriguez to Tyler Osik. Daniel Castillo struck out looking. Darrien Miller hits a home run to right-center field on a 1-1 pitch. Arbert Cipion singles to left-center field. Arbert Cipion caught stealing 2nd base, Victor Torres to Jose Rodriguez.
(1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)

Mudcats 3rd (Mudcats 5, Cannon Ballers 1) -- Gabe Holt walks. Noah Campbell singles through the hole at second base, Gabe Holt to 3rd. Noah Campbell steals 2nd base. Joe Gray Jr. strikes out swinging. Ernesto Martinez strikes out swinging. Joey Wiemer walks. Felix Valerio singles through the hole at shortstop, Gabe Holt scores; Noah Campbell scores; Joey Wiemer to 2nd. Pitcher Change: Dilmer Mejia replaces Angel Acevedo. Daniel Castillo grounds into a force out, fielded by DJ Gladney, Joey Wiemer out at 3rd.
(2 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)

Mudcats 4th (Mudcats 6, Cannon Ballers 1) -- Darrien Miller grounds out, Jose Rodriguez to Tyler Osik. Arbert Cipion struck out looking. Gabe Holt reaches on throwing error by Victor Torres. Noah Campbell singles to center field, Gabe Holt to 2nd. Joe Gray Jr. singles to right field, Gabe Holt scores; Noah Campbell to 3rd. Ernesto Martinez hit by pitch, Joe Gray Jr. to 2nd. Joey Wiemer grounds out, Lency Delgado to Tyler Osik.
(1 Runs, 2 Hits, 1 Errors, 3 LOB)

Cannon Ballers 5th (Mudcats 6, Cannon Ballers 2) -- James Beard pops out to Noah Campbell. Caberea Weaver grounds out, Miguel Guerrero to Noah Campbell. Tyler Osik walks. Jose Rodriguez doubles to left-center field, Tyler Osik to 3rd. Wild pitch by Miguel Guerrero, Tyler Osik scores; Jose Rodriguez to 3rd. Bryan Ramos strikes out swinging.
(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Cannon Ballers 7th (Cannon Ballers 6, Mudcats 6) -- Pitcher Change: Abner Uribe replaces Miguel Guerrero. James Beard triples to right field. Caberea Weaver grounds out, Felix Valerio to Noah Campbell. Tyler Osik singles to right-center field, James Beard scores. Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Brandon Bossard replaces Jose Rodriguez on a 1-0 count. Brandon Bossard walks, Tyler Osik to 2nd. Bryan Ramos hits a home run to center field on a 1-2 pitch, Tyler Osik scores; Brandon Bossard scores. DJ Gladney reaches on fielding error by Felix Valerio. Wild pitch by Abner Uribe, DJ Gladney to 2nd. Lency Delgado strikes out swinging. Pitcher Change: Juan Geraldo replaces Abner Uribe. Benyamin Bailey walks. Victor Torres lines out to Joe Gray Jr.
(4 Runs, 3 Hits, 1 Errors, 2 LOB)

Mudcats 7th (Mudcats 11, Cannon Ballers 6) -- Brandon Bossard remains in the game as the shortstop. Ernesto Martinez singles to right-center field. Ernesto Martinez steals 2nd base. Joey Wiemer flies out to Caberea Weaver. Felix Valerio struck out looking. Pitcher Change: Corey Stone replaces Dilmer Mejia. Daniel Castillo doubles to center field, Ernesto Martinez scores. Wild pitch by Corey Stone, Daniel Castillo to 3rd. Darrien Miller hit by pitch. Arbert Cipion walks, Darrien Miller to 2nd. Gabe Holt walks, Daniel Castillo scores; Darrien Miller to 3rd; Arbert Cipion to 2nd. Noah Campbell walks, Darrien Miller scores; Arbert Cipion to 3rd; Gabe Holt to 2nd. Pitcher Change: Brandon Jenkins replaces Corey Stone. Joe Gray Jr. doubles through the hole at second base, Arbert Cipion scores; Gabe Holt scores; Noah Campbell to 3rd. Ernesto Martinez strikes out swinging.
(5 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)