Mudcats Lose Late Lead in Rain-Shortened Loss

Carolina 2 @ Down East 3 (7)

August 15, 2021 | Venue : Grainger Stadium | First pitch : 1:01 PM | Att : 1,092 | T : 3:12 (:32 delay)

CAR: 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 x x 2 7 2

DE: 1 0 0 0 0 2 x x x 3 4 1

WP: Teodoro Ortega (3 - 1) LP: Keegan McCarville (1 - 1) SV: Mason Cole (1)

KINSTON – Felix Valerio went 3-for-4 while recording his 27th multi-hit game of the season, and Christian Tripp allowed just one unearned run and one hit in his first career start, but the Wood Ducks rallied for two runs in the sixth while defeating the Mudcats 3-2 in a rain-shortened, seven-inning, game on Sunday afternoon at Grainger Stadium.

Carolina (53-37) originally led 1-0 after getting a run scoring single from Wes Clarke in the first. That early lead, however, did not las long as the Wood Ducks (51-38) answered right back with a run of their own when Keyber Rodriguez brought in the tying run with a sacrifice fly in the last of the first. It stayed tied at 1-1 until the fourth when Andre Nnebe drove in Clarke from second with a go-ahead RBI single.

Nnebe, however, was also involved in Down East’s two-run sixth as his catching error on a sacrifice fly from Rodriguez ended up allowing two runs to score. Nnebe’s error allowed the Wood Ducks to take a 3-2 lead and a storm would wash away any chance for Carolina to score again as the game was called after the top of the seventh due to rain.

Rodriguez ended up going 0-for-1 in the game, but drove in two runs for the Wood Ducks. Down East totaled just four hits in the game, and neither of those four directly forced in runs.

Tripp started for the Mudcats and managed to hold the Wood Ducks to just one run and one hit over four innings pitched. The start was Tripp’s first of his career and came in his 42nd appearance in affiliated baseball. Tripp also walked two and struck out two.

Both Peyton Long and Keegan McCarville followed Tripp’s solid start and both did so after being activated from the injured list before the game. Long tossed a scoreless fifth, but McCarville (1-1, 6.75) allowed two runs and three hits in the sixth while taking the loss.

Teodoro Ortega earned the win after working around three walks and holding Carolina scoreless in the fifth and sixth innings. Mason Cole earned the save despite walking two in a scoreless seventh.

The loss clinched a series win (4-2) for the Wood Ducks and shortened Carolina’s lead in the Low-A East Central standings to just 1.5 games ahead of the Wood Ducks.

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:

Zamora, SS (Carolina): 4-for-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Valerio, F, 2B (Carolina): 2-for-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

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

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

Acuna, 2B (Down East): 2-for-4, 0 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

Rodriguez, K, SS (Down East): 1-for-4, 0 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

Smith, C (Down East): 1-for-3, 0 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:

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

Long (Carolina): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO

White (Down East): 2.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO

Brewer (Down East): 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO

Ortega, T (W, 3-1) (Down East): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO

Cole (S, 1) (Down East): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 SO

SCORING:

Mudcats 1st (Mudcats 1, Wood Ducks 0) -- Gabe Holt struck out looking. Felix Valerio singles to right field. Freddy Zamora flies out to Daniel Mateo. Ashton McGee walks, Felix Valerio to 2nd. Wes Clarke singles through the hole at second base, Felix Valerio scores; Ashton McGee to 2nd. Noah Campbell strikes out swinging.

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

Wood Ducks 1st (Mudcats 1, Wood Ducks 1) -- Jayce Easley singles to right-center field. Daniel Mateo grounds into a force out, Ashton McGee to Gabe Holt, Jayce Easley out at 2nd. Luisangel Acuna reaches on fielding error by Freddy Zamora, Daniel Mateo to 2nd. Daniel Mateo steals 3rd base, Luisangel Acuna steals 2nd base. Keyber Rodriguez out on a sacrifice fly to Noah Campbell, Daniel Mateo scores; Luisangel Acuna to 3rd. Cristian Inoa grounds out, Ashton McGee to Wes Clarke.

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

Mudcats 4th (Mudcats 2, Wood Ducks 1) -- Wes Clarke walks. Noah Campbell pops out to Keyber Rodriguez. Micah Bello strikes out swinging. Darrien Miller singles to left field, Wes Clarke to 2nd. Andre Nnebe singles through the hole at shortstop, Wes Clarke scores; Darrien Miller to 3rd; Andre Nnebe to 2nd. Gabe Holt flies out to Daniel Mateo.

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

Wood Ducks 6th (Wood Ducks 3, Mudcats 2) -- Pitcher Change: Keegan McCarville replaces Peyton Long. Daniel Mateo singles to left field. Daniel Mateo steals 2nd base. Luisangel Acuna singles up the middle, Daniel Mateo to 3rd. Luisangel Acuna steals 2nd base. Keyber Rodriguez hits a sacrifice fly, fielding error by Andre Nnebe, Daniel Mateo scores; Luisangel Acuna scores; Keyber Rodriguez to 2nd. Cristian Inoa grounds out, Freddy Zamora to Wes Clarke, Keyber Rodriguez to 3rd. Thomas Saggese lines into unassisted double play, Ashton McGee, Keyber Rodriguez out at 3rd.

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