Mudcats Walk Their Way to 4-3 Walk-Off Win

ZEBULON, N.C. - Cooper Hummel walked with the bases loaded to bring in the tying run and Dallas Carroll walked with the bases loaded to win it in the ninth as the Mudcats walked off the Wood Ducks 4-3 with two bases loaded walks on Tuesday night at Five County Stadium in Zebulon.

The walk-off win was the 12th of the season for the Mudcats (62-70, 28-34) and gave them a 2-0 lead in their four game set with the visiting Wood Ducks (58-76, 23-41). The walk-off win was also Carolina's seventh in their last 17 home games; seven of their last nine home wins have come in walk-off fashion.
The Carolina ninth began with back-to-back singles from Joantgel Segovia and Dillon Thomas off Down East reliever Brett Eibner. Demi Orimoloye was then by a pitch to load the bases and Hummel then followed with the first of Carolina's two run scoring walks in the final frame. 
Eibner (BS, 0-1, 5.40) left immediately allowing issuing Hummel's game tying walk and was then replaced by reliever Royce Bolinger. Ryan Aguilar then struck out, but with one out and with the bases loaded, Bolinger went on to walk Carroll to force in the game winner for Carolina. 
The Mudcats had trailed 3-2 heading into their half of the ninth but would end up getting two runs across on two bases loaded walks from Hummel and Carroll while coming back to win game two of the four game set. 
Daniel Brown ended up with the victory out of the Carolina bullpen after working through the eighth and ninth without allowing a run. Brown (7-4, 4.12) struck out three and allowed two hits over his two scoreless frames.
The Wood Ducks originally scored first in Tuesday's game in Zebulon as they rallied for a run and two hits off starter Victor Diaz in the fourth. Diaz had worked through three scoreless frames before allowing a two-out RBI single to Yanio Perez in the fourth and then seeing the Wood Ducks take a 1-0 lead in the game.
The 1-0 Down East lead did not last long, however, as the Mudcats quickly answered when Aguilar connected on a two-run home run with two-outs in their half of the fourth while taking a 2-1 lead. The home run was hit off starter Emerson Martinez and was Aguilar's eighth homer of the season.
Martinez allowed Aguilar's homer in the fourth but ended up allowing just the two runs overall while pitching through five and 1/3 innings with six strikeouts. He left in the sixth with the Wood Ducks lead 3-2 and with a runner at third. Reliever Austin Pettibone followed Diaz and ended up getting through the frame unscathed as he was able to induce an out at the plate and pitched around an error while holding Carolina scoreless.
The Mudcats also retired a man at home and did so in the fifth when Diaz got Chuck Leblanc to pop into a inning ended double play. Leblanc's at bat came with the bases loaded and his pop up to right would be used to catch tagging runner Brendon Davis at home to end the frame. The throw was made by Thomas and limited the Wood Ducks to just one run in the frame. Anderson Tejeda had an RBI single earlier in the frame that had tied the game at 2-2.
Diaz pitched through five full innings in the game and finished with two runs allowed on five this. He also struck out four, walked two and reached 88 pitches (52 strikes). Reliever Wuilder Rodriguez followed and went on to pitch through two innings with two walks and three strikeouts. He gave up a go-ahead run scoring single to Leblanc in the seventh, but finished with the run allowed on four hits overall.
NOTES: Cooper Hummel went 0-for-3 with two walks and a RBI while maintaining his Carolina League leading on-base percentage at .387 for the season... Demi Orimoloye went 1-for-4 and has hit safely in eight straight games... Dillon Thomas went 2-for-2 with two runs, two walks and an outfield assist that retired a runner at home in the game... Carolina's offense struck out 10 times, bringing their season strikeout total to a Carolina League record 1,251. The previous league record was 1,245 and was set by the 2017 Carolina Mudcats last season.
UP NEXT: The Mudcats will continue their final home stand with game three of a four game versus the Wood Ducks at Five County Stadium on Wednesday night. Tickets are available by visiting www.carolinamudcats.com/tickets, by calling (919) 269-CATS (2287) and by visiting the Five County Stadium front office in Zebulon. The game will air on the Mudcats Radio Network, the Big Dawg 98.5 FM and via TuneIn Radio at carolinamudcats.com. It will also stream live via video on MiLB.tv.
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