Roegner Keeps Rolling as Mudcats Drop Wood Ducks 11-3

ZEBULON, N.C. - Cam Roegner struck out seven over six scoreless innings, Luis Aviles Jr. Jr. hit a solo home run in the second and Weston Wilson hit a grand slam in the third as the Mudcats defeated the Wood Ducks 11-3 on Thursday night at Five County Stadium.

The Mudcats (22-23) gave Roegner (6-1, 0.68) all the run support he would need early as they scored seven runs between the second and fourth innings while taking a 7-0 lead against the visiting Wood Ducks (26-21). Aviles Jr. put his club on the board first with a solo home run in the second, Wilson then hit his grand slam in the third and Dallas Carroll later drove in two with a double in the fourth. 
Tweet from @CarolinaMudcats: Distance: farExit Velocity: fastLaunch Angle: high@Weston_Wilson8 breaks the floodgates open with a GRAND SLAM to left in the bottom of the third. #MudcatsFUN pic.twitter.com/MaJdITG2Z3
Roegner took all of the early support and ran with it as he held the visiting Wood Ducks to just three hits while pitching through the sixth. He induced two inning ending double plays, while facing the minimum through three innings and matched a career high with seven strikeouts. He also walked one and left after reaching 85 pitches (57 strikes) and pitching to a 75 game score.
Tweet from @CarolinaMudcats: We are running out of ways to tell you that @slimdolla19 is good at pitching. Six scoreless innings and seven strikeouts lower his Carolina League leading ERA to 0.68.#MudcatsFUN pic.twitter.com/9erq5c9uWw
The scoreless start was Roegner's fourth straight and his six scoreless innings extended his overall scoreless innings streak to 28 and 2/3 consecutive frames. He also lowered his Carolina League and Minor League Baseball leading earned run averaged to just 0.68 on the season.
Michael Matuella started for the Wood Ducks (26-21) and ended up allowing all seven of Carolina's runs over the first half of Thursday's series finale. In all, Matuella gave up seven runs on six hits and walked three in the loss. Kaleb Fontenot followed Matuella and went on to hold the Mudcats scoreless over the next three innings while working into the seventh.
With Fontenot quieting the Carolina offense and Roegner out of the game, the Wood Ducks eventually found new life as they scored three runs on a couple of hits in the seventh against reliever Chase Williams. Williams walked two in the seventh and gave up a RBI hit to Anderson Tejeda while seeing the Wood Ducks cut the Carolina lead to 7-3.
Williams allowed three runs on two hits and two walks while working through one inning in relief of Roegner. Alec Kenilvort followed Williams out of the bullpen and went to work through two scoreless frames (2 H, 1 SO) while finishing the game for Carolina.
The Mudcats quickly answered the three run Down East rally with a four run seventh of their own while taking their 11-3 lead in the game. Wilson started the seventh with a single against Fontenot and Ryan Aguilar then followed with a double. Aviles Jr. then singled to bring in Wilson and knock Fontenot out of the game. Fontenot faced three in the seventh, but did not record an out. He ended up being charged with three runs (one earned) on four hits over his three inning appearance.
Jario Beras eventually relieved Fontenot and was immediately greeted by a hard hit grounder from Cooper Hummel that would be errantly misplayed by first baseman Andretty Cordero. The resulting error brought across two Carolina runs before Keston Hiura later capped the rally with a RBI double. Infielder Josh Altmann later pitched the eighth and managed to hold the Mudcats without a run.
Carolina set a new season high for runs in a game as they scored 11 runs on 11 hits in their series finale victory. Wilson led the way as he went 3-for-5 with a double, a grand slam, two runs and four RBI. Aviles Jr. went 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. Carroll went 2-for-4 with a RBI double and Hiura went 2-for-5 with a RBI and his league leading 15th double of the season.
The Mudcats took three of four in the series and moved to a game above .500 for the first time since April 26 when the club was 11-10. Carolina's home stand will continue on Friday night with game one of a four game series versus the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. The first pitch of Friday's game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and will feature RHP Marcos Diplan (1-2, 3.98) starting for the Mudcats. 
Friday's game will be followed by post-game fireworks presented by House Autry. 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 via live video on MiLB.tv.
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