Mudcats Issue Season Worst 11 Walks in 11-3 Loss

LISTEN: Manager Joe Ayrault's Post-Game Interview

DELMARVA - Ashton McGee went 1-for-4 with a go-ahead RBI single in the fourth and Gabe Holt went 2-for-5 with a RBI single in the fifth, but the Shorebirds took advantage of 11 walks issued by Carolina pitches while running away with an 11-3 victory on Wednesday night at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium in Delmarva.

The Mudcats (8-6) issued a season high 11 walks in the loss. Those 11 walks were the most by the Mudcats since the 2018 season when the Carolina pitching staff combined for 12 walks on August 23, 2018 versus Buies Creek.

Delmarva (11-3) took a two games to none series lead with the lopsided victory and won their eighth straight game.

Carolina had 1-0 lead in the third (thanks to McGee’s RBI single), but Delmarva’s JD Mundy quickly flipped that while connecting on a three-run home run off starter TJ Shook in the fourth. Shook pitched through four and finished with three runs, four hits, three walks and five strikeouts.

A two-run Carolina fifth tied the game at 3-3, but Gunnar Henderson broke the tie with a solo homer in that same fifth inning. Delmarva went on to score a few more runs and four total in the fifth while taking a 7-3 lead. They later added two more in the sixth, one more in the seventh and one more in the eighth while running away with their 11-3 victory.

Juan Geraldo, who took over for Shook in the fifth, managed to retire just two batters before reaching 32 pitches and leaving the game in that same fifth inning. Geraldo allowed four runs on three hits and walked two.

Brendan Murphy took over for Geraldo in the fifth and went on to allow two of three inherited runners to score before eventually getting out of the inning. Murphy would stay in for the next two frames, but also left early after reaching 53 pitches (26 strikes) over two innings. Murphy walked five and allowed three runs on two hits in his appearance.

Cam Robinson later pitched part of the seventh and all of the eighth to finish the game for the Mudcats. Robinson went an inning and 1/3 with one run, one hit, one walk and one strikeout.

HOME RUNS:
Delmarva HR : Mundy (3, 4th inning off Shook, 2 on, 0 out); Henderson (4, 5th inning off Geraldo, 0 on, 2 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:
McGee, 3B (Carolina): 1-for-4, 0 R, 1 RBI
Holt, 2B (Carolina): 2-for-5, 1 RBI
Gray Jr., CF (Carolina): 1-for-4, 1 RBI
Henderson, SS (Delmarva): 2-for-3, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Westburg, 3B (Delmarva): 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 RBI
Mundy, 1B (Delmarva): 2-for-5, 2 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI
Rodriguez, R, C (Delmarva): 2-for-4, 1 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:
Robinson (Carolina): 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO
Watson (Delmarva): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO
Davis (W, 1-0) (Delmarva): 4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO
Conroy (S, 1) (Delmarva): 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO

SCORING:

Mudcats 4th (Mudcats 1, Shorebirds 0) -- Joe Gray Jr. strikes out swinging. Ernesto Martinez walks. Zavier Warren grounds out, Gunnar Henderson to J.D. Mundy, Ernesto Martinez to 2nd. Wild pitch by Shane Davis, Ernesto Martinez to 3rd. Ashton McGee singles to shallow left field, Ernesto Martinez scores. Andre Nnebe strikes out swinging.

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

Shorebirds 4th (Shorebirds 3, Mudcats 1) -- Gunnar Henderson singles to shallow right field. Jordan Westburg hit by pitch, Gunnar Henderson to 2nd. J.D. Mundy hits a home run to left field on a 0-1 pitch, Gunnar Henderson scores; Jordan Westburg scores. Dylan Harris walks. Trevor Kehe grounds out, Ashton McGee to Ernesto Martinez, Dylan Harris to 2nd. Ramon Rodriguez strikes out swinging. Mason Janvrin strikes out swinging.

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

Mudcats 5th (Mudcats 3, Shorebirds 3) -- Alex Hall singles through the hole at second base. Felix Valerio walks, Alex Hall to 2nd. Gabe Holt singles through the hole at second base, Alex Hall scores; Felix Valerio to 3rd. Gabe Holt steals 2nd base. Joey Wiemer strikes out swinging. Joe Gray Jr. grounds out, Gunnar Henderson to J.D. Mundy, Felix Valerio scores. Ernesto Martinez grounds out, Shane Davis to J.D. Mundy.

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

Shorebirds 5th (Shorebirds 7, Mudcats 3) -- Pitcher Change: Juan Geraldo replaces TJ Shook. Hudson Haskin hit by pitch. Hudson Haskin caught stealing 2nd base, Zavier Warren to Felix Valerio. Anthony Servideo struck out looking. Gunnar Henderson hits a home run to left field on a 0-1 pitch. Jordan Westburg singles to right field. J.D. Mundy singles to left-center field, Jordan Westburg to 3rd. Dylan Harris walks, J.D. Mundy to 2nd. Trevor Kehe walks, Jordan Westburg scores; J.D. Mundy to 3rd; Dylan Harris to 2nd. Pitcher Change: Brendan Murphy replaces Juan Geraldo. Ramon Rodriguez doubles through the hole at shortstop, J.D. Mundy scores; Dylan Harris scores; Trevor Kehe to 3rd. Mason Janvrin strikes out swinging.

(4 Runs, 4 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)

Shorebirds 6th (Shorebirds 9, Mudcats 3) -- Hudson Haskin hit by pitch. Hudson Haskin steals 2nd base. Anthony Servideo walks. Gunnar Henderson walks, Hudson Haskin to 3rd; Anthony Servideo to 2nd. Jordan Westburg grounds into a force out, fielded by Felix Valerio, Hudson Haskin scores; Anthony Servideo to 3rd; Gunnar Henderson out at 2nd. J.D. Mundy reaches on a fielder's choice out, Felix Valerio to Gabe Holt, Anthony Servideo scores; Jordan Westburg out at 2nd. Wild pitch by Brendan Murphy, J.D. Mundy to 2nd. Dylan Harris walks. Trevor Kehe grounds out, Gabe Holt to Ernesto Martinez.

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

Shorebirds 7th (Shorebirds 10, Mudcats 3) -- Ramon Rodriguez doubles to left field. Mason Janvrin flies out to Joey Wiemer. Hudson Haskin flies out to Joey Wiemer. Anthony Servideo walks. Gunnar Henderson walks, Ramon Rodriguez to 3rd; Anthony Servideo to 2nd. Pitcher Change: Cam Robinson replaces Brendan Murphy. Wild pitch by Cam Robinson, Ramon Rodriguez scores; Anthony Servideo to 3rd; Gunnar Henderson to 2nd. Jordan Westburg strikes out swinging.

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