ApL Kingsport Axmen

Mathieu Leads K-Mets over Rays, 3-1

July 22, 2014 - Appalachian League (ApL)
Kingsport Axmen News Release


KINGSPORT, Tenn. (July 21, 2014) - Zach Mathieu had tallied nine professional RBIs in a season and a half with the Kingsport Mets. On Monday night, he had three in a single game - accounting for all the K-Mets' run production in a 3-1 victory over the Princeton Rays.

Mathieu saved the best for last, drilling a pitch over the wall in left field in the bottom of the ninth for a walk-off two-run homer.

It was the second professional home run for Mathieu.

Kingsport (14-15) has won four in a row and five of six, making a midseason charge during this season-long eight-game Appalachian League homestand at Hunter Wright Stadium.

Mathieu drove in Kingsport's first run on a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning, which forced a 1-all tie. Then, after the newly crowned Appalachian League Player of the Week Wuilmer Becerra singled with one out in the bottom of the ninth, Mathieu took the second pitch he saw from Rafael Cordova (0-3) and unloaded with a line drive that easily cleared the wall.

Teammates swarmed Mathieu as he crossed the plate, and Kingsport celebrated its second walk-off win of the 2014 season.

Ismael Tijerina (1-0) got the win in relief after working a scoreless ninth. Tijerina gave up three singles in his sole inning of work, but a huge caught-stealing by catcher Luis Ortega helped keep Princeton off the scoreboard.

Kingsport didn't commit any errors, and turned a pair of double plays.

Leon Canelon was the only K-Met with multiple hits.

Andrew Massie had a strong start, allowing a single run on three hits and three walks over six innings. Matt Blackham and Persio Reyes, who was making his 2014 K-Met debut, each followed with a perfect frame of relief work.

Kingsport's homestand continues Tuesday with a divisional game against Greeneville in a rematch of last year's Appalachian League semifinal playoff series. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.

K-METRICS: The Kingsport Mets have struggled in the field, committing 70 errors this season and as many as eight in one game. However, the K-Mets played their best defense of 2014 in this series, only making one error combined in the three games.

NOTES: Becerra was named the player of the week after hitting three home runs last week, also enjoying a 5-for-5 nioght with two doubles and an RBI. Becerra came into Monday's game with a .307/.354/.520 line. He came to the Mets as part of the trade that sent R.A. Dickey, Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas to the Toronto Blue Jays. ... K-Met third baseman Pedro Perez made a fantastic catch in foul territory in the eighth, even after he was almost undercut in the gravel by a sliding Ortega as he tried to back up. ... Ortega threw out two would-be base stealers at second. ... Angel Moreno was called out on batter interference to end the top of the eighth inning.

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