Supak Totals Seven Strikeouts as Mudcats Win Fourth Straight

ZEBULON, N.C. - Ryan Aguilar hit a game tying home run in the seventh, Luke Barker earned a six-out save and starter Trey Supak pitched through six scoreless innings as the Mudcats defeated the Wood Ducks 4-2, while winning their fourth straight game on Monday night in Zebulon.

Carolina (22-22) originally led 1-0 after six before the Wood Ducks (25-19) came back with two runs in the seventh to take their first lead of the game at 2-1. The Carolina offense then quickly responded with a three run seventh while taking Monday's series opener 4-2 against the visiting Wood Ducks. The victory ran Carolina's winning streak to a season best four straight games and brought them back to a .500 record for the first time since they were 11-11 on April 27.
Supak started for Carolina and pitched through six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts. He also scattered just three hits and walked two while pitching to a 73 game score and reaching 100 pitches (65 strikes) for the first time this season. He left the game with Carolina leading 1-0, but ended up without a decision.
Tweet from @CarolinaMudcats: .@treysupak9 was down right filthy tonight. Six shutout innings puts him in second place behind @slimdolla19 for the league lead in ERA. His seven strikeouts moved him past Down East's Jonathan Hernández for first place in the Carolina League with 55.#MudcatsFUN pic.twitter.com/09hhR4hqQi
Reliever Nattino Diplan, who had taken over for Supak after the sixth, allowed both Down East runs to score on a single to center from Eric Jenkins in the seventh. Diplan (BS, 2-1, 7.79) suffered a blown save after losing Carolina's 1-0 lead, but later earned the win as the Mudcats came back with three runs in the bottom of the seventh to take the lead again.
Aguilar sparked Carolina's three run seventh with a game tying home run to right off starter Emerson Martinez who had stayed in the game for his seventh inning of work. The home run was Aguilar's second of the season and his second against the Wood Ducks this season as well.
Martinez (2-4, 4.53) ended up facing three batters in the seventh, but left the game without recording an out and with two men on base. Both runners left by Martinez later scored, thus closing Martinez's starting line for the night at six innings pitched with four earned runs allowed on seven hits. Martinez also walked two and struck out five while taking the loss.
Reliever Jairo Beras followed Martinez and ended up allowing two inherited runners to score after first allowing one to come in via wild pitch and the other to score on a two-out RBI single to right from Dallas Carroll. Beras eventually got through the seventh and came back out for the eighth while finishing the game for the Wood Ducks.
The Mudcats went back to their bullpen for the eighth after taking the lead again and gave the game to Barker who pitched through two scoreless frames while earning his third save of the season. Barker (S, 3) retired the side in order in the eighth and stranded two in the ninth while recording the six out save. He also allowed one hit, walked one and struck out three in his appearance.
Aguilar had the biggest hit of the game for Carolina as his home run in the seventh tied the game at 2-2. He ended up going 1-for-3 in the game with a run, a RBI , a home run and two great catches in center in the first and third innings.
Tweet from @CarolinaMudcats: But he must not have learned his lesson because he tried again in the third inning... #NoFlyZone pic.twitter.com/qBWl5Lf3rz
Keston Hiura and Tucker Neuhaus helped pace the Carolina offense as they both went 2-for-4. Hiura doubled in the sixth, while bringing his Carolina League leading total to 14 on the season. Luis Aviles Jr. Jr. also had a big game as he scored twice while going 1-for-3. Rob Henry went 1-for-3, with his lone hit being a go-ahead RBI single with two outs in the fifth.
Tweet from @CarolinaMudcats: Rob Henry breaks a scoreless tie in the fifth with an RBI single. #MudcatsFUN WATCH: pic.twitter.com/1pf56uLMXE
The Mudcats improved to 3-1 at home versus the Wood Ducks this season with the victory, but still trail in the overall season series with Down East 7-3. The current series will continue on Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. with the Mudcats leading one game to none. The game will air on the Mudcats Radio Network, The Big Dawg 98.5 FM and online at carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio. The game will also stream via live video on MiLB.tv.
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