CarL Carolina Mudcats

Mudcats Hold off Wood Ducks for First Home Win

Published on April 12, 2024 under Carolina League (CarL)
Carolina Mudcats News Release


ZEBULON, NC - A dominant display of pitching by the Carolina Mudcats (6-1) powered them to a pair of shutout wins over the Down East Wood Ducks (4-3) Friday night at Five County Stadium. Carolina took the opener by a score of 6-0 before completing the sweep with a 2-0 victory on the back end.

Game 1 saw impeccable Mudcats pitching from start to finish. Starter Josh Knoth cruised through three scoreless innings allowing just one hit and two walks while fanning three. He gave the ball off to Yujanyer Herrera (W, 1-0) ahead of the fourth, who delivered one of the best pitching performances of the season to this point. Herrera struck out nine batters, including the last three he faced to end it.

Offensively, Carolina used two big innings to do their damage. A sacrifice fly for Cooper Pratt put the Mudcats ahead 1-0 in the first before Luis Castillo lined a two-run double off Down East starter Kyle Larsen (L, 0-1) to push the early lead to three.

Tayden Hall then got in on the offense in the third with a two-run base hit to right. David Garcia later brought Hall in on a single of his own, the fifth hit of a three-run third. Hall reached base at least three times for the second straight game.

In Game 2, another Carolina starter shined in his home debut. Pitching in his first professional game, Bishop Letson went two and two-thirds innings, striking out six Down East batters while allowing just one hit and two walks.

The game stayed scoreless until the bottom of the fourth when Daniel Guilarte sent his first professional home run over the wall in right to make it 1-0 Mudcats. Later in the inning, the lead was doubled on a Yhoswar Garcia bloop single that scored Kay-Lan Nicasia.

The two runs were more than enough for the Carolina bullpen. K.C. Hunt (W, 1-0) went two and a third scoreless before Harrison Durow (SV, 2) took it the rest of the way, shutting down the Wood Ducks' bats in the final two frames.

Both teams will play again on Saturday night at Five County Stadium. The first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a Pollen Themed Mudcats jersey presented by Koch and Son. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

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 April 12, 2024


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