Figueroa's Strong Start Leads Mudcats to 6-3 Victory
July 6, 2023 - Carolina League (CarL)
Carolina Mudcats News Release
ZEBULON, N.C. - Jeferson Figueroa started and pitched through four scoreless, reliever Jose Chavez earned his first victory and Hedbert Perez followed a Luis Castillo RBI double in the first with a two-run home run as the Carolina Mudcats defeated the Fayetteville Woodpeckers 6-3 on Thursday night at Five County Stadium.
With Castillo's double and the Perez home run, the Mudcats (5-7, 38-37) scored three times in the first and led the entire way while defeating the Woodpeckers (5-7, 35-43) to take a 2-1 lead in the six-game series.
Fayetteville starter Andrew Taylor allowed the first four runs of the game and took the loss. Taylor (L, 4-4) began his night with a strikeout, but then hit Luke Adams before allowing Castillo's double and Perez's home run. Blayberg Diaz later started the second with a single before scoring on an error later in the inning. Taylor eventually settled in and ended up going through the fourth with four runs (three earned) on four hits. He also struck out six and walked one in the loss.
Figueroa, Carolina's spot starter, matched Taylor with four complete innings, but went through four scoreless in what was his first start of the season. Figueroa induced an inning-ending double play in the first and worked around two hits in the third.
Chavez (W, 1-0) followed in the fifth and turned in two scoreless innings before allowing a run and two hits in the seventh. He also worked part of the eighth, but left after reaching 50 pitches (35 strikes).
Reliever Jeison Pena allowed an inherited runner and a run of his own in the eighth, but pitched the final inning and 1/3 with two hits, one run and two strikeouts while finishing the game.
Carolina's insurance runs in the sixth and eighth came across with help of an error and wild pitch respectively. Jheremy Vargas walked, stole second, stole third and scored when catcher Sandro Gaston attempted to catch hiim at third. Perez, meanwhile, singled and moved around the bases on a wild pitch, a groundout and a wild pitch.
The series will continue on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. at Five County Stadium with CBS 17 Friday Night Fireworks and an AgCarolina Farm Credit Union souvenir hat giveaway for the first 1,000 fans with paid admission.
HOME RUNS:
Carolina: Perez, H (6, 1st inning off Taylor, A, 1 on, 1 out).
STOLEN BASES:
Fayetteville: Cole (23, 2nd base off Chavez, J/Diaz); Whitaker (6, 2nd base off Chavez, J/Diaz).
Carolina: Barrios (17, 2nd base off Taylor, A/Gaston); Castillo (1, 2nd base off Santa/Gaston); Vargas 2 (10, 2nd base off Santa/Gaston, 3rd base off Santa/Gaston).
TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:
Cole , RF (Fayetteville): 2-for-5, 0 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 BB
Garcia, J, LF (Fayetteville): 2-for-3, 0 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0 BB
Perez, H, LF (Carolina): 2-for-4, 2 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 0 BB
Diaz, C (Carolina): 2-for-3, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 BB
Castillo, DH (Carolina): 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB
TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:
Figueroa (Carolina): 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO
Chavez, J (W, 1-0) (Carolina): 3.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO
Pena, Je (Carolina): 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO
SCORING:
Mudcats 1st (Mudcats 3, Woodpeckers 0) -- Kay-Lan Nicasia strikes out swinging. Luke Adams hit by pitch. Luis Castillo doubles to center field, Luke Adams scores. Hedbert Perez hits a home run to right field on a 1-2 pitch, Luis Castillo scores. Gregory Barrios singles to left-center field. Gregory Barrios steals 2nd base. Jheremy Vargas walks. Jace Avina flies out to Jackson Loftin. Jesus Parra flies out to Jackson Loftin.
(3 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)
Mudcats 2nd (Mudcats 4, Woodpeckers 0) -- Blayberg Diaz singles to deep shortstop. Kay-Lan Nicasia strikes out swinging. Wild pitch by Andrew Taylor, Blayberg Diaz to 2nd. Luke Adams flies out to John Garcia. Luis Castillo reaches on fielding error by Ricardo Balogh, Blayberg Diaz scores. Hedbert Perez flies out to John Garcia.
(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 1 Errors, 1 LOB)
Mudcats 6th (Mudcats 5, Woodpeckers 0) -- Gregory Barrios pops out to Dauri Lorenzo. Jheremy Vargas walks. Jheremy Vargas steals 2nd base. Jace Avina grounds out to Sandro Gaston.Jace Avina out on batter interference. Jheremy Vargas steals 3rd base, Jheremy Vargas scores; throwing error by Sandro Gaston. Jesus Parra grounds out to Ricardo Balogh.
(1 Runs, 0 Hits, 1 Errors, 0 LOB)
Woodpeckers 7th (Mudcats 5, Woodpeckers 1) -- Jackson Loftin doubles to left field. Sandro Gaston flies out to Kay-Lan Nicasia, Jackson Loftin to 3rd. Leosdany Molina singles up the middle, Jackson Loftin scores. Leosdany Molina caught stealing 2nd base, Blayberg Diaz to Gregory Barrios. Zachary Cole strikes out swinging.
(1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)
Woodpeckers 8th (Mudcats 5, Woodpeckers 3) -- Luis Encarnacion flies out to Hedbert Perez. Tyler Whitaker walks. Tyler Whitaker steals 2nd base. Ricardo Balogh lines out to Kay-Lan Nicasia. Pitcher Change: Jeison Pena replaces Jose Chavez. Dauri Lorenzo walks. John Garcia doubles to left field, Tyler Whitaker scores; Dauri Lorenzo scores. Jackson Loftin strikes out swinging.
(2 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)
Mudcats 8th (Mudcats 6, Woodpeckers 3) -- Hedbert Perez singles to right field. Wild pitch by Alimber Santa, Hedbert Perez to 2nd. Gregory Barrios grounds out, Dauri Lorenzo to Ricardo Balogh, Hedbert Perez to 3rd. Wild pitch by Alimber Santa, Hedbert Perez scores. Jheremy Vargas lines out to Jackson Loftin. Jace Avina strikes out swinging
(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 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.
Carolina League Stories from July 6, 2023
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