First-Place Mudcats Win Thriller, 8-6 in Kannapolis
August 18, 2023 - Carolina League (CarL)
Carolina Mudcats News Release
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. - Dylan O'Rae went 2-for-3 with three runs, Jadher Areinamo had two doubles, Luke Adams had a RBI triple in the tenth and Jace Avina took back a would-be walk-off home run with a leaping catch in the ninth as the first-place Carolina Mudcats defeated the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 8-6 in ten innings on Friday night at Atrium Health Ballpark.
The Mudcats (29-17, 62-47) originally led 1-0 after getting a run on a wild pitch in the first, but the Cannon Ballers (22-24, 57-54) scored four times in the third to take a 4-1 lead. Jhoneiker Betancourt had a two-run double and both Ryan Galanie and Juan Gonzalez had RBI singles in the third for Kannapolis.
Trailing 4-1 after three, the Mudcats started to chip away with two runs in the fifth and one in the seventh to tie it up at 4-4. The two-run fifth included a Jadher Areinamo RBI double and a Luke Adams sac fly. The one run seventh included three Carolina hits, including a game-tying single from Avina.
The two teams then traded runs in the last of the seventh and top of the eighth to go from 4-4 to 5-5 with Chris Lanzilli driving in the go-ahead with a RBI single in the seventh and Dylan O'Rae singled and eventually scoring on a wild pitch in the eighth.
The game was still locked at 5-5 going into the last of the ninth when Galanie hit what looked to be a walk-off home run with two-outs in the final frame. His deep fly to left, however, was brought back by Avina as he made a leaping catch at the wall to keep the game tied and force extras.
The Carolina offense rewarded Avina's stellar play with three runs and three hits in the tenth while going up 8-5. O'Rae had a sac fly to put Carolina on top before Tayden Hall drove in one with a single and Adams drove in another with a triple.
Reliever Yerlin Rodriguez was brought in for the last of the tenth and would allow a run, but stranded two while working through a bases loaded jam to finish the victory. Rodriguez (S, 11) also struck out one and walked two while earning his 11th straight save.
Patricio Aquino started for the Mudcats and worked into the fifth with four runs on seven hits (matching a season-high). He also struck out two and walked one before leaving with Carolina down 4-3.
Reliever Yorman Galindez entered in the sixth and went on to work through the ninth while earning the victory in his first appearance with the Mudcats. Galindez (W, 1-0) allowed just one run, scattered five hits and worked around three walks in his victorious debut.
The victory brought the Mudcats into a 2-2 tie in their road series in Kannapolis. It also kept the first-place Mudcats 4.0 game up on the Lynchburg Hillcats.
STOLEN BASES:
Carolina: O'Rae 3 (6, 2nd base off McDougal/Gonzalez, 2nd base off Beutel/Gonzalez, 2nd base off Hammerberg/Gonzalez); Mercado (5, 2nd base off Beutel/Gonzalez).
TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:
O'Rae, 2B (Carolina): 2-for-2, 3 R, 1 RBI, 3 BB
Areinamo, DH (Carolina): 2-for-6, 2 R, 2 2B, 1 RBI
Hall, 1B (Carolina): 2-for-5, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Adams, 3B (Carolina): 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 1 BB
Camilletti, 3B (Kannapolis): 2-for-6, 1 R, 1 2B
Betancourt, 1B (Kannapolis): 3-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0 BB
Sanchez, W, 2B (Kannapolis): 2-for-3, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 BB
TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:
Galindez (W, 1-0) (Carolina): 4 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO
Rodriguez (S, 11) (Carolina): 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO
Hammerberg (H, 4) (Kannapolis): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO
SCORING:
Mudcats 1st (Mudcats 1, Cannon Ballers 0) -- Dylan O'Rae walks. Jadher Areinamo strikes out on foul tip. Dylan O'Rae steals 2nd base. Tayden Hall singles to deep shortstop, Dylan O'Rae to 3rd. Wild pitch by Tanner McDougal, Dylan O'Rae scores; Tayden Hall to 2nd. Luke Adams walks. Luis Castillo grounds out to Jhoneiker Betancourt, Tayden Hall to 3rd; Luke Adams to 2nd. Jace Avina walks. Pitcher Change: Ben Beutel replaces Tanner McDougal. Blayberg Diaz pops out to Wilber Sanchez. (1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 3 LOB)
Cannon Ballers 3rd (Cannon Ballers 4, Mudcats 1) -- Wilber Sanchez pops out to Tayden Hall. Mario Camilletti singles to left field. Jordan Sprinkle flies out to Luis Castillo. Chris Lanzilli hit by pitch, Mario Camilletti to 2nd. Jhoneiker Betancourt doubles to right field, Mario Camilletti scores; Chris Lanzilli scores. Ryan Galanie singles to center field, Jhoneiker Betancourt scores; Ryan Galanie to 2nd. Juan Gonzalez singles to deep second base, Ryan Galanie scores. Ryan McCarthy grounds into a force out, fielded by Gregory Barrios, Juan Gonzalez out at 2nd. (4 Runs, 4 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)
Mudcats 5th (Cannon Ballers 4, Mudcats 3) -- Dylan O'Rae walks. Dylan O'Rae steals 2nd base. Jadher Areinamo doubles to left field, Dylan O'Rae scores. Tayden Hall walks. Pitcher Change: Ethan Hammerberg replaces Ben Beutel. Wild pitch by Ethan Hammerberg, Jadher Areinamo to 3rd; Tayden Hall to 2nd. Luke Adams out on a sacrifice fly to Ryan McCarthy, Jadher Areinamo scores. Luis Castillo walks. Jace Avina walks, Tayden Hall to 3rd; Luis Castillo to 2nd. Blayberg Diaz strikes out swinging. Gregory Barrios pops out to Wilber Sanchez. (2 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 3 LOB)
Mudcats 7th (Mudcats 4, Cannon Ballers 4) -- Pitcher Change: Emerson Talavera replaces Ethan Hammerberg. Luke Adams singles to right field. Luis Castillo singles to center field, Luke Adams to 2nd. Jace Avina singles to left-center field, Luke Adams scores; Luis Castillo to 2nd. Blayberg Diaz strikes out swinging. Gregory Barrios flies out to Drake Logan. Reidy Mercado pops out to Jordan Sprinkle. (1 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)
Cannon Ballers 7th (Cannon Ballers 5, Mudcats 4) -- Wilber Sanchez walks. Mario Camilletti doubles to left field, Wilber Sanchez to 3rd. Jordan Sprinkle strikes out swinging. Chris Lanzilli singles to left field, Wilber Sanchez scores; Mario Camilletti to 3rd. Jhoneiker Betancourt hit by pitch, Chris Lanzilli to 2nd. Ryan Galanie grounds into double play, Gregory Barrios to Dylan O'Rae to Tayden Hall, Jhoneiker Betancourt out at 2nd, Ryan Galanie out at 1st. (1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)
Mudcats 8th (Mudcats 5, Cannon Ballers 5) -- Dylan O'Rae singles through the hole at second base. Jadher Areinamo flies out to Drake Logan. Tayden Hall grounds out to Emerson Talavera, Dylan O'Rae to 3rd. Wild pitch by Emerson Talavera, Dylan O'Rae scores. Umpire Dylan Hulsey moving to 1B. Luke Adams flies out to Drake Logan. (1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)
Mudcats 10th (Mudcats 8, Cannon Ballers 5) -- Gregory Barrios starts inning at 2nd base. Reidy Mercado grounds out, Wilber Sanchez to Jhoneiker Betancourt, Gregory Barrios to 3rd. Dylan O'Rae out on a sacrifice fly to Ryan McCarthy, Gregory Barrios scores. Jadher Areinamo doubles to right field. Tayden Hall singles up the middle, Jadher Areinamo scores. Luke Adams triples to right-center field, Tayden Hall scores. Pitcher Change: Oriel Castro replaces Emerson Talavera. Luis Castillo struck out looking. (3 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)
Cannon Ballers 10th (Mudcats 8, Cannon Ballers 6) -- Pitcher Change: Yerlin Rodriguez replaces Yorman Galindez. Ryan Galanie starts inning at 2nd base. Wild pitch by Yerlin Rodriguez, Ryan Galanie to 3rd. Juan Gonzalez walks. Ryan McCarthy strikes out swinging. Drake Logan walks, Juan Gonzalez to 2nd. Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter Calvin Harris replaces Wilber Sanchez. Calvin Harris grounds out, Yerlin Rodriguez to Dylan O'Rae to Tayden Hall, Ryan Galanie scores; Juan Gonzalez to 3rd; Drake Logan to 2nd. (1 Runs, 0 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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