CarL Carolina Mudcats

'Cats and Ballers Split Saturday Doubleheader

April 30, 2023 - Carolina League (CarL)
Carolina Mudcats News Release


ZEBULON, N.C. - With a season-high 4,252 on hand at Five County Stadium, the Carolina Mudcats finished with a de facto doubleheader split with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers on Saturday afternoon at Five County Stadium. Carolina (11-8) took the first game 1-0, but fell in the second 8-1 to the visiting Cannon Ballers (12-7) in Zebulon.

The Mudcats won Saturday's opener after breaking a scoreless tie in the eighth with a run-scoring single from Matt Wood. Daniel Guilarte walked and scored from second on Wood's two-out single off reliever Zach Cable. Guilarte singled in both games of Saturday's and has hit safely in 10 consecutive games.

The first game of Saturday's doubleheader originally began on Friday night, but was suspended after the second due to heavy rain. The game resumed in the third with reliever Alexander Vallecillo pitching for the Mudcats in place of starter Patricio Aquino.

Vallecillo started his appearance by giving up a double to start the third, but went on to retire 15 consecutive batters while facing the minimum over five full innings. Vallecillo also totaled six strikeouts against just the one hit while helping the Mudcats pick up their second shutout of the season. Shane Smith worked the eighth and ninth and earned the win while holding the Cannon Ballers scoreless the rest of the way.

Carolina improved to 11-7 with their doubleheader opening victory, but would later fall victim to a series of misplays in the second game that helped lead to an 8-1 loss. The first such mistake was a missed pop up between second baseman Jadher Areinamo and first baseman Johnnys Cabrera in the third. Neither player caught what was a routine play to start the frame. That misplay was not ruled and error, and eventually led to two Kannapolis runs as starter Aidan Maldonado gave up two runs on three hits in the inning.

Kannapolis led 2-0 after the third, but Carolina pulled within one in the fifth with a run-scoring groundout from Guilarte. The Cannon Ballers, however, immediately answered Carolina's lone fifth inning run with five run unearned runs in the sixth while taking a 7-1 lead. The sixth began with a fielding error by Cabrera at first and included run-scoring hits from Caberea Weaver, Brooks Baldwin and Tim Elko.

Reliever Tyler Wehrle allowed all five of the Cannon Ballers runs in the sixth, but all five were unearned. Wehrle originally pitched a three-up and three-down fifth before giving four hits in the sixth.

Bryce Willits brought in the final run of the game after connecting on a solo home run off Fernando Olguin in the seventh.

With the split, the Mudcats now hold a 3-2 lead in the six-game series. The finale is scheduled for Sunday afternoon beginning at 1:00 p.m. at Five County Stadium.

Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 0 @ Carolina Mudcats 1 (Game 1)

April 29, 2023 | Venue: Five County Stadium | First pitch: 7:02 PM | T: 2:07 (:38 delay) | Att: 1,440 | Box Score

KAN: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0

CAR: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 x 1 7 0

WP: Shane Smith (2 - 2) LP: Mason Adams (1 - 1)

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:

Glass, LF (Kannapolis): 1-for-3, 1 2B

Fernandez, E, CF (Carolina): 2-for-4, 1 2B

Wood, C (Carolina): 1-for-4, 1 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:

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

Adams (L, 1-1) (Kannapolis): 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO

Cable (Kannapolis): 0.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO

Aquino (Carolina): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO

Vallecillo (Carolina): 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 SO

Smith (W, 2-2) (Carolina): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO

SCORING:

Mudcats 8th (Mudcats 1, Cannon Ballers 0) -- Daniel Guilarte walks. Wild pitch by Mason Adams, Daniel Guilarte to 2nd. Gregory Barrios grounds out, Bryce Willits to Tim Elko. Pitcher Change: Zach Cable replaces Mason Adams. Eduarqui Fernandez singles to deep shortstop. Luke Adams strikes out on foul tip. Matthew Wood singles to left-center field, Daniel Guilarte scores; Eduarqui Fernandez to 2nd. Jace Avina walks, Eduarqui Fernandez to 3rd; Matthew Wood to 2nd. Hedbert Perez strikes out swinging.

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

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