BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Myles Straw was 3-for-5 with a run and a RBI, Anibal Sierra hit a solo home run and scored twice as the Astros defeated the Mudcats 7-3 on Saturday night at Jim Perry Stadium in Buies Creek. The loss dropped the Mudcats into a four game
BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Myles Straw was 3-for-5 with a run and a RBI, Anibal Sierra hit a solo home run and scored twice as the Astros defeated the Mudcats 7-3 on Saturday night at Jim Perry Stadium in Buies Creek. The loss dropped the Mudcats into a four game series split with the Astros and 2.5 games back of first in the first half standings.
The Mudcats (29-26) wasted three bases loaded opportunities and left 10 men on base while going 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position in Saturday's series finale loss to the Astros (32-24) at Jim Perry Stadium.
The Astros did not waste their early scoring chances and led from start to finish on starter Kodi Medeiros and the Mudcats. Buies Creek scored twice in the first and scored once more in the second while taking the early 3-0 lead.
Medeiros (3-4, 5.36) pitched through the fourth and allowed four runs on six hits, while walking two and striking out three. He needed more than 30 pitches to get through the first and finished with 82 pitches (46 strikes) in the loss over four innings.
Straw led off the Buies Creek first with a single and later scored on a run scoring hit from Jason Rogers to put the Astros up 1-0. Alex De Goti then followed with a RBI double and the Astros managed to get two, two-out runs while taking a 2-0 lead in the opening frame. The lead later went to 3-0 in the second after Spencer Johnson led off with a triple and scored a batter later on a RBI single from Straw.
The Mudcats got on the board for the first time on a bases loaded RBI single from Isan Díaz in the third, but Jake Gatewood followed by hitting into an inning ending double play and the Astros led 3-1 after three. Sierra answered the lone Carolina run in the third with a solo home run in the fourth and the Astros led 4-1 in the fourth.
Carolina later wasted two bases loaded opportunities in the fifth when both Diaz and Gatewood popped out with the bags full to end the inning. Both at-bats came against Ferrell who had entered in place of starter Framber Valdez in the fifth. Ferrell (5-3, 6.57) inherited a bases loaded jam, but escaped the fifth will all three inherited runners left on base.
The Mudcats did get a run across in the sixth against Ferrell, but Troy Stokes Jr. popped out with the bags full to end the frame and Buies Creek led 7-2 after six.
Ferrell earned the win after pitching through three and 2/3 innings with just one run allowed on two hits. He also finished with four walks and two strikeouts. Sebastian Kessay later pitched the ninth and finished the game despite allowing Corey Ray to single score an unearned run in the inning.
Jordan Yamamoto followed Medeiros and gave up three runs on four hits over three innings. He also walked two and struck out three before leaving after the seventh. Scott Grist worked the final frame and struck out one in his first appearance since May 15.
UP NEXT: The Mudcats next head home for game one of a three game home stand on Sunday against the Winston-Salem Dash at Five County Stadium. The Mudcats will have Cody Ponce on the mound for the home stand opening start beginning at 2:00 p.m. against the Dash in Zebulon. Sunday's game will air on the Mudcats Radio Network, The Big Dawg 98.5 FM and carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio beginning at 1:45 p.m. It will also stream live via online video at MiLB.tv.
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