CarL Carolina Mudcats

Clutch Defense Helps Mudcats Seal 6-5 Victory

July 7, 2023 - Carolina League (CarL)
Carolina Mudcats News Release


Carolina Mudcats' Jadher Areinamo on game night
Carolina Mudcats' Jadher Areinamo on game night
(Carolina Mudcats, Credit: Neal Hock)

ZEBULON, N.C. - Gregory Barrios went 3-for-4 with two runs and a two-run double, Jadher Areinamo went 2-for-4 two runs, a double and assisted on two of a season-high four double plays in a 6-5 Carolina Mudcats victory versus the Fayetteville Woodpeckers on Friday night at Five County Stadium.

The Carolina (6-7, 39-37) defense turned a season-high four double plays in Friday's game, including one in the eighth from Areinamo that preserved a late 6-5 lead. They also turned inning ending double plays in the third and fifth and got a highlight reel double play from reliever Yerlin Rodriguez in the ninth.

Rodriguez (S, 1) was on the mound in the eighth when Areinamo made his lead saving play that helped get Carolina out of a one-out bases loaded jam. The play saw Fayetteville (5-8, 35-44) infielder Luis Encarnacion hit a soft chopper to second that was charged and played by a drawn in Areinamo. He then quickly tagged the advancing runner trying for second before throwing to first to finish the inning ending double play. Rodriguez went on to turn a 1-6-3 double play in the ninth and finished the game with groundout while earning his first save of the season.

The Mudcats originally led 1-0 in the first thanks to a Hedbert Perez RBI single and 2-0 in the second after Areinamo doubled and scored on a wild pitch. The Woodpeckers later rallied to tie it at 2-2 (one of which scored with help of two Carolina errors) with a run in the third and fourth off starter Quinton Low, but a Blayberg Diaz sac fly and Barrios two-run double lifted Carolina to a 5-2 lead.

Low started and worked through four full innings with five strikeouts, one walk and two runs (one earned) on three hits. Will Childers followed in the fifth and gave up a run while seeing the Woodpeckers cut the deficit to 5-3. Carolina later added one more run in the seventh when Barrios singled and scored on a series of three wild pitches.

Childers (W, 2-1) remained in the game through the seventh, but gave up two more runs in the eighth before leaving the game. Rodriguez followed and went on to strand two inherited runners while finishing the game.

Amilcar Chirinos started for the Woodpeckers and took the loss after allowing five runs on seven hits over three and 1/3 innings. Fayetteville's Carlos Espinosa finished the game with four solid innings that saw him allow just one run on two hits. Espinosa walked two and struck out seven over the final half of the game.

The victory was Carolina's second straight and lifted them to a 3-1 series lead over the visiting Woodpeckers. The series continues Saturday at 5:00 p.m. at Five County Stadium with Souvenir Saturday featuring a souvenir cooler bag for the first 1,000 fans with paid admission.

STOLEN BASES:

Fayetteville: Whitaker (7, 2nd base off Low/Sibrian); Cole 2 (25, 2nd base off Childers/Sibrian, 3rd base off Childers/Sibrian).

Carolina: Barrios (18, 2nd base off Chirinos/Garcia, J); Perez, H (9, 2nd base off Chirinos/Garcia, J); Areinamo (6, 3rd base off Chirinos/Garcia, J).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:

Whitaker, 3B-RF (Fayetteville): 2-for-3, 1 RBI, 2 BB

Gaston, DH (Fayetteville): 2-for-4, 1 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI

Barrios, SS (Carolina): 3-for-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI

Areinamo, 2B (Carolina): 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 2B

Chirinos, 1B (Carolina): 2-for-2, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 BB

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:

Espinosa, C (Fayetteville): 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO

Low (Carolina): 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO

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

SCORING:

Mudcats 1st (Mudcats 1, Woodpeckers 0) -- Luis Lara grounds out, Jackson Loftin to Luis Encarnacion. Gregory Barrios singles to right field. Luis Castillo struck out looking, Gregory Barrios steals 2nd base. Hedbert Perez singles to right field, Gregory Barrios scores. Hedbert Perez steals 2nd base. Luke Adams struck out looking.

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

Mudcats 2nd (Mudcats 2, Woodpeckers 0) -- Jose Sibrian strikes out swinging. Jadher Areinamo doubles to left-center field. Blayberg Diaz strikes out on foul tip. Jadher Areinamo steals 3rd base. Jesus Chirinos walks. Wild pitch by Amilcar Chirinos, Jadher Areinamo scores; Jesus Chirinos to 2nd. Luis Lara walks. Gregory Barrios strikes out swinging.

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

Woodpeckers 3rd (Mudcats 2, Woodpeckers 1) -- Sandro Gaston doubles to left field. Frank Perez singles to left-center field, Sandro Gaston scores. Zachary Cole strikes out swinging. Luis Encarnacion grounds into double play, Luke Adams to Jadher Areinamo to Jesus Chirinos, Frank Perez out at 2nd, Luis Encarnacion out at 1st.

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

Woodpeckers 4th (Woodpeckers 2, Mudcats 2) -- Tyler Whitaker struck out looking. Ricardo Balogh singles to center field. Garrett McGowan reaches on fielding error by Jadher Areinamo, Ricardo Balogh to 2nd. John Garcia strikes out swinging, Ricardo Balogh scores; Garrett McGowan to 2nd; throwing error by Jose Sibrian. Jackson Loftin hit by pitch. Wild pitch by Quinton Low, Garrett McGowan to 3rd; Jackson Loftin to 2nd. Sandro Gaston flies out to Luis Castillo.

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

Mudcats 4th (Mudcats 5, Woodpeckers 2) -- Jose Sibrian singles to right field. Jadher Areinamo singles to right-center field, Jose Sibrian to 3rd. Blayberg Diaz out on a sacrifice fly to Garrett McGowan, Jose Sibrian scores. Jesus Chirinos singles to shallow center field, Jadher Areinamo to 2nd. Luis Lara singles to right field, Jadher Areinamo to 3rd; Jesus Chirinos to 2nd. Pitcher Change: Ian Foggo replaces Amilcar Chirinos. Gregory Barrios doubles to left-center field, Jadher Areinamo scores; Jesus Chirinos scores; Luis Lara out at home on the throw, Garrett McGowan to Jackson Loftin to John Garcia. Luis Castillo struck out looking.

(3 Runs, 5 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Woodpeckers 5th (Mudcats 5, Woodpeckers 3) -- Pitcher Change: Will Childers replaces Quinton Low. Frank Perez walks. Zachary Cole grounds into a force out, Jesus Chirinos to Gregory Barrios, Frank Perez out at 2nd. Zachary Cole steals 2nd base. Zachary Cole steals 3rd base. Luis Encarnacion walks. Tyler Whitaker singles through the hole at shortstop, Zachary Cole scores; Luis Encarnacion to 2nd. Ricardo Balogh grounds into double play, Gregory Barrios to Jesus Chirinos, Tyler Whitaker out at 2nd, Ricardo Balogh out at 1st.

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

Mudcats 7th (Mudcats 6, Woodpeckers 3) -- Gregory Barrios singles through the hole at second base. Wild pitch by Carlos Espinosa, Gregory Barrios to 2nd. Luis Castillo strikes out swinging. Hedbert Perez strikes out swinging. Wild pitch by Carlos Espinosa, Gregory Barrios to 3rd. Wild pitch by Carlos Espinosa, Gregory Barrios scores. Luke Adams walks. Jose Sibrian pops out to Luis Encarnacion in foul territory.

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

Woodpeckers 8th (Mudcats 6, Woodpeckers 5) -- Garrett McGowan singles to right-center field. John Garcia walks, Garrett McGowan to 2nd. Jackson Loftin singles to left-center field, Garrett McGowan to 3rd; John Garcia to 2nd. Sandro Gaston doubles to right field, Garrett McGowan scores; John Garcia scores; Jackson Loftin to 3rd. Pitcher Change: Yerlin Rodriguez replaces Will Childers. Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Dauri Lorenzo replaces Frank Perez. Dauri Lorenzo grounds out, Jadher Areinamo to Jesus Chirinos. Yerlin Rodriguez intentionally walks Zachary Cole . Luis Encarnacion grounds into double play, Jadher Areinamo to Jesus Chirinos, Zachary Cole out at 2nd, Luis Encarnacion out at 1st.

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

Single-game tickets, season ticket packages, mini plans, group options, as well as luxury suite packages and DRB Homes Sky Lounge reservations in the US Foods Club Level are also still available now by visiting www.carolinamudcats.com, by calling (919) 269-2287, and by visiting the Five County Stadium front office in Zebulon.

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Images from this story

Carolina Mudcats' Jadher Areinamo on game night
Carolina Mudcats' Jadher Areinamo on game night
(Neal Hock)		   



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