Morgan and Wood Ducks Escape with 6-4 Win Versus Mudcats
April 27, 2017 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Carolina Mudcats News Release
ZEBULON, N.C. - Down East infielder Josh Altmann broke a 3-3 tie in the sixth with a solo home run and outfielder Josh Morgan hit a go-ahead double in the ninth as the Wood Ducks defeated the Mudcats for the second consecutive night 6-4 at Five County Stadium in Zebulon on Wednesday night.
The Wood Ducks (10-10) pounded out 13 hits in Wednesday's victory, including nine off Mudcats (8-10) starter Cody Ponce and four against reliever Colton Cross.
Ponce pitched through the seventh for the third time this season, but also gave up four runs and nine hits while striking out two. He finished the game with 89 pitches (62 strikes) and left with it tied at 4-4 in the seventh.
Cross (0-1) followed and was able to keep the visiting Wood Ducks scoreless in the eighth before eventually allowing two runs in the ninth on a RBI double from Morgan and a run scoring infield single from Josh O'Neill. Cross took the loss and finished with two strikeouts and four hits allowed in two innings.
The Wood Ducks were first on the board after getting two across on two hits in the third against Ponce. Luis La O drove in the first run with a double to left and Carlos Garay drove in the second with a RBI ground out. Ponce also gave up a run in the third when Eduard Pinto drove in Jairo Beras.
Morgan was 2-for-4 with two runs and a RBI for the Wood Ducks. Altmann was 1-for-4 with his go-ahead home run in the sixth and was 1-for-4 and Pinto was 3-for-4 with a run and a RBI.
The Mudcats trailed 3-0 through the third and had been retired in order in three straight innings by starter Pedro Payano before rallying for three in the fourth to tie it. Corey Ray started the rally with a single to center and later scored on a failed double play and throwing error by shortstop Arturo Lara. Luis Aviles later drove in two to tie the game with a two-out single to left.
It was locked at 3-3 until Altmann's home run off Ponce in the sixth. The big fly was his third of the year and the first allowed by Ponce this season.
Carolina later tied it again with a bloop RBI single from Isan Diaz in the seventh, but Morgan and O'Neill answered back with run scoring hits in the ninth to win it for the Wood Ducks.
Jason Richman (1-0) suffered a blown save, but also earned the win for the Wood Ducks after working through two and 2/3 innings following Payano. He allowed an inherited runner to score in the seventh on Diaz's single to left. Payano worked through six and 1/3 innings and gave up four runs on six hits while striking out six.
NOTES: Troy Stokes Jr. was 2-for-3 with a walk on Wednesday night and has now hit safely in seven consecutive games... Isan Diaz was 1-for-4 and has hit safely in five straight games.
UP NEXT: The series continues on Thursday morning with the first pitch at 11:00 a.m. in Zebulon at Five County Stadium. The Mudcats trail the series 0-2 and will look to avoid a sweep with a win on Thursday. Right-hander Freddy Peralta will start for the Mudcats in the series finale, lefty Jeffrey Springs will start for the Wood Ducks. The game will stream live online at carolinamudcats.com and on MiLB.tv.
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