Carolina Mudcats take series over Columbia Fireflies

The Carolina Mudcats faced off against the Columbia Fireflies in a seven-game series from June 18-23.

The Mudcats took five wins in the series, marking their first series win since their series win over Delmarva from May 28 to June 2, as their previous two ended in ties.

Game one

In game one, the Mudcats kicked off their doubleheader on the first day of the series with a 3-2 win.

The game was slow, with both teams ending with five hits each and the scoring sitting at 1-1 heading into the bottom of the eighth.

Tied at one and getting late in the game, the Mudcats took the lead in the bottom of the eighth. Mudcat Daniel Guilarte hit an RBI ground ball to center field to break the silence. A few at-bats later, Reece Walling hit a grounder to shortstop to send Guilarte home to take the two-run lead.

This two-run lead proved to be instrumental in the win as the Fireflies managed one run in the top of the ninth. This gave the Mudcats the 3-2 win.

Game two

In the second game of the doubleheader, the Fireflies bounced back, earning a 3-1 win.

The Fireflies led throughout the whole game, scoring two in the opening inning and adding another run in the fourth.

Reidy Marcado scored for the Mudcats on a throwing error by the Fireflies as he attempted to steal third. This marked the Mudcats’ only run.

Game three

The third game was close for a majority of the game, with the score being tied at 2-2 for five and a half innings.

The Fireflies crumbled in the top of the ninth because of pitcher Jesus Rios who allowed two Mudcats runners to score off wild pitches. This gave the Mudcats the 4-2 victory.

Daniel Corniel had a solid outing at the mound, pitching in seven innings and allowing just four hits and two runs while striking out five.

Reece Walling, who is second-to-last in batting average on the Mudcat lineup, led the way at the plate for the Mudcats in the win, leading the team in hits with two and RBIs with one while adding a run.

Game four

The Mudcats took over game four, marking the first game of the series where one of the teams solidly outplayed the other.

The Mudcats outhit the Fireflies 14-8, earning a 9-5 win.

Yophery Rodriguez looked good at the plate in the win, getting two hits, three RBIs and a run. Two of these runs came from a homer over the right-field wall.

Miguel Briceno led the team in runs with two whole also adding an RBI off of two hits and a walk.

Josh Knoth pitched a majority of the game, throwing three strikes while allowing just two hits in 5.2 innings pitched. Brailin Rodriguez pitched for 2.1 innings, striking out four and allowing no hits.

Game five

The Mudcats continued the momentum of the previous two games, downing Columbia 10-2.

Both teams scored all of their runs within innings five to nine, with neither finding runs in the first four.

Bulls batters Yophery Rodriguez and Cooper Pratt led the way at the plate, both putting up two runs and an RBI.

Blayberg Diaz, David García and Filippo Di Turi all had solid outings batting, all putting up two hits. Diaz notched two runs while García and Di Turi had two RBIs.

Enniel Cortez looked good on the mound, striking out five and allowing only three hits in four innings pitched.

Game six

In game six, Carolina came short of matching their run count in the previous two games, however, they held Columbia scoreless, shutting them out 6-0.

Yophery Rodriguez got the Mudcats on the board first, hitting an RBI double to left field in the top of the third.

The Mudcats added two more runs in the following inning, with RBI line drive singles by Briceno and Di Turi.

García grounded an RBI to right field, bringing Guilarte home to take the 4-0 lead.

The Mudcats wrapped up their scoring with two runs in the top of the eight. These came off a line drive RBI from Pratt and Briceno taking home on a catch error by the second baseman after Briceno, giving the Mudcats the 6-0 win.

Knoth had an impressive outing, striking out seven and allowing just two hits in 5.2 innings pitched. Brailin Rodriguez pitched only 2.1 innings but looked good in the performance, striking out four and allowing no hits.

Dikember Sanchez saw the mound for the first time ever as a Mudcat, and in one inning pitched he struck out one and allowed no hits.

Game seven

The Fireflies ended the series with a victory, taking the game 4-3.

Both teams had seven hits, however, the Fireflies were the ones narrowly taking the win.

The Mudcats scored first, with Luis Castillo hitting an RBI grounder to send Walling home in the top of the second.

The Fireflies answer back in the following inning with two runs to take a one-run lead.

Yhoswar Garcia tied the game in the top of the fifth, reaching home off a throwing error by the Fireflies’ shortstop.

In the following frame, the Fireflies not only retook their lead but extended it to two with two solo home runs.

Satchell Norman hit a sacrifice grounder to shortstop in the seventh to send home Garcia to narrow the deficit to one, however, the Mudcats could not find home again, falling 4-3.

Up next

The Mudcats next face division rival Lynchburg Hillcats, going head-to-head in a six-game series from June 25-30.

The Mudcats are currently tied for No. 1 in the division with a 2-1 divisional record.

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