Wiemer Hits Another Extra-Inning Walk-Off

Kannapolis 4 @ Carolina 6 (12)

August 07, 2021 | Venue : Five County Stadium | First pitch : 4:59 PM | Att : 3,219 | T : 4:12

LISTEN: Post-Game Interview with Manager Joe Ayrault

ZEBULON – Joey Wiemer hit his second walk-off home run in the last three days as he crushed a game-winning three-run home run in the 12th to lift the Mudcats to a 6-4 victory over the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers on Saturday night at Five County Stadium. The victory was Carolina’s fourth straight and Wiemer’s home run was his fourth in the last three game.

Carolina (50-33) trailed 4-3 heading into their half of the 12th but would go on to score three runs on Wiemer’s walk-off blast. The game winning home run scored both Felix Valerio and Freddy Zamora from third and first respectively. Valerio started the inning at second base and went to third on a single by Zamora before scoring on Wiemer’s big fly.

The home run was Wiemer’s fourth of the series and his fourth in his last three games. It was also his second walk-off home run of the series as he also won Thursday’s game with a walk-off homer in extras against the Cannon Ballers (26-57). Both game winning homers were allowed by reliever Karan Patel and both came in an extra frame with Thursday’s coming in the 11th of a 4-3 victory and Saturday’s occurring in the 12th of a 6-4 victory. Patel (0-2, 8.00) took the loss and was the sixth and final pitcher in the game for Kannapolis. He faced just two batters and allowed two hits.

The two sides traded runs in each run scoring inning of the game as it was tied at 1-1 after the third, 2-2 after the seventh and tied 3-3 after the 11th. Wiemer had a game-tying double in the third, Andre Nnebe did the same in the seventh and Gabe Holt had a two-out, game-tying single in the 11th. Wiemer went 3-for-4 in the game with four RBI (and an intentional walk in the 10th), Nnebe was 1-for-5 with a RBI and Holt finished 4-for-6 with a RBI.

Wiemer is now batting .600/.636/1.300 with a 1.936 OPS, 12 hits, six runs, two doubles, four home runs and 12 RBI over five games in Carolina’s current series versus Kannapolis.

The Cannon Ballers totaled four unearned runs in the game with one coming across on an error in the third, another scoring on a sac fly in the seventh, the third on a run-scoring double in the 11th and the last on a wild pitch in the 12th. Catcher Victor Torres had the go-ahead double in the 11th and reliever Juan Geraldo had the wild pitch the scored the final Kannapolis run of the game in the 12th.

Geraldo, appearing for the second straight day, faced four batters in the 12th and allowed just the one unearned run despite walking a batter and hitting another. Brock Begue eventually replaced Geraldo and went to earn the win while facing just one batter. Begue (1-1, 6.48) struck out Samil Polanco to end the 12th while leaving two men on base.

Begue’s lone strikeout in the 12th was Carolina’s 20th of the game. Starter Antoine Kelly accounted for seven of those punchouts while working into the fifth and pitching a season high four and 2/3 innings. Nate Peden totaled three strikeouts over three and 1/3 and Kent Hasler struck out eight over three innings.

The series will conclude on Sunday with the finale of the six-game series at 1:00 p.m. in Zebulon. The Mudcats lead, and have won, the series four games to one.

HOME RUNS:

Carolina HR : Wiemer (13, 12th inning off Patel, 2 on, 0 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:

Rodriguez, J, SS (Kannapolis): 2-for-5, 1 R, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

Mendoza, H, 1B (Kannapolis): 2-for-5, 0 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

Torres, V, C (Kannapolis): 1-for-5, 0 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI

Beard, CF (Kannapolis): 1-for-4, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

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

Holt, DH (Carolina): 4-for-6, 0 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI

Zamora, SS (Carolina): 1-for-6, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

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

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:

Kelly (Carolina): 4.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO

Peden (Carolina): 3.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO

Hasler (Carolina): 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 SO

Geraldo (Carolina): 0.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO

Begue (W, 1-1) (Carolina): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO

Kelley (Kannapolis): 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO

Denlinger (Kannapolis): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO

Stone (Kannapolis): 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO

Silven (Kannapolis): 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO

Mikel (Kannapolis): 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO

SCORING:

Cannon Ballers 3rd (Cannon Ballers 1, Mudcats 0) -- Jose Rodriguez doubles to right-center field. Wilber Sanchez strikes out swinging. Bryan Ramos grounds out, Antoine Kelly to Zavier Warren. Harvin Mendoza singles to shallow right field, Jose Rodriguez scores; throwing error by Felix Valerio. Harvin Mendoza advances to 2nd on a balk. DJ Gladney struck out looking.

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

Mudcats 3rd (Cannon Ballers 1, Mudcats 1) -- Gabe Holt flies out to Caberea Weaver. Felix Valerio singles up the middle. Freddy Zamora flies out to James Beard. Felix Valerio steals 2nd base. Joey Wiemer doubles to right-center field, Felix Valerio scores. Zavier Warren strikes out swinging.

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

Cannon Ballers 7th (Cannon Ballers 2, Mudcats 1) -- James Beard singles to shallow center field. Jose Rodriguez lines out to Joey Wiemer. James Beard advances to 2nd on a balk. Wilber Sanchez reaches on fielding error by Noah Campbell. James Beard steals 3rd base, Wilber Sanchez steals 2nd base. Bryan Ramos out on a sacrifice fly to Micah Bello, James Beard scores; Wilber Sanchez to 3rd. Harvin Mendoza grounds out, Felix Valerio to Zavier Warren.

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

Mudcats 7th (Cannon Ballers 2, Mudcats 2) -- Micah Bello walks. Alex Hall grounds out to Harvin Mendoza, Micah Bello to 2nd. Andre Nnebe doubles to right-center field, Micah Bello scores. Gabe Holt singles to shallow right field, Andre Nnebe to 3rd. Pitcher Change: Yoelvin Silven replaces Corey Stone. Felix Valerio pops out to Harvin Mendoza in foul territory. Freddy Zamora flies out to James Beard.

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

Cannon Ballers 11th (Cannon Ballers 3, Mudcats 2) -- Caberea Weaver starts inning at 2nd base. Chase Krogman strikes out swinging. Victor Torres doubles to left field, Caberea Weaver scores. James Beard strikes out swinging. Kent Hasler intentionally walks Jose Rodriguez. Wilber Sanchez strikes out swinging.

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

Mudcats 11th (Cannon Ballers 3, Mudcats 3) -- Micah Bello starts inning at 2nd base. Alex Hall pops out to Jose Rodriguez. Andre Nnebe strikes out swinging. Gabe Holt singles to right field, Micah Bello scores. Felix Valerio strikes out swinging.

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

Cannon Ballers 12th (Cannon Ballers 4, Mudcats 3) -- Pitcher Change: Juan Geraldo replaces Kent Hasler. Wilber Sanchez starts inning at 2nd base. Bryan Ramos hit by pitch. Harvin Mendoza strikes out swinging. DJ Gladney walks, Wilber Sanchez to 3rd; Bryan Ramos to 2nd. Wild pitch by Juan Geraldo, Wilber Sanchez scores; Bryan Ramos to 3rd; DJ Gladney to 2nd. Caberea Weaver grounds out, Noah Campbell to Zavier Warren. Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Samil Polanco replaces Chase Krogman. Pitcher Change: Brock Begue replaces Juan Geraldo. Samil Polanco strikes out swinging.

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

Mudcats 12th (Mudcats 6, Cannon Ballers 4) -- Defensive switch from right field to left field for Caberea Weaver. Defensive Substitution: Anderson Comas replaces Samil Polanco, batting 7th, playing right field. Pitcher Change: Karan Patel replaces Jordan Mikel. Felix Valerio starts inning at 2nd base. Freddy Zamora singles to right field, Felix Valerio to 3rd.

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