Carolina Drops Second Straight 7-2 in Fayetteville

Carolina 2 @ Fayetteville 7

May 12, 2022 | Venue : SEGRA Stadium | First pitch : 7:05 PM | Att : 2,114 | T : 2:43

CAR: 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 3

FAY: 2 0 0 2 0 1 2 0 x 7 7 1

WP: Fabricio Reina (1 - 2) LP: Alexander Cornielle (0 - 4)

FAYETTEVILLE – Arbert Cipion had a game-tying RBI triple in the third, Oswal Leones went 2-for-5 with a double, and starter Alexander Cornielle matched a career high with eight strikeouts, but the Carolina Mudcats dropped their second straight game 7-2 to the Fayetteville Woodpeckers at SEGRA Stadium on Thursday night in Fayetteville.

The Mudcats (15-15) scored first in the game after Zack Raabe started it with a walk before later scoring on a bases loaded balk charged to starter Christian Mejias. Fayetteville (11-19) quickly answered with two runs in the last of the first while going up 2-1 on Cornielle (0-4) and the Mudcats. Leosdany Molina singled and scored in the two-run opening frame for the Woodpeckers.

Fayetteville’s 2-1 lead held through the second, but the Mudcats tied it at 2-2 in the third when Cipion connected on his run scoring triple to left. The triple was his third of the season and was nearly a home run as leftfielder Joey Loperfido kept Cipion’s deep drive to left from leaving the ballpark with a jumping catch attempt up against the wall.

The 2-2 tie would be short-lived though as the Woodpeckers took the lead for good on Mascai’s home run in the fourth. Fayetteville led 4-2 after the fourth and later added a run in the sixth, and two in the seventh while winning their second straight game in the series.

Cornielle matched a career high with eight strikeouts, but ended up with his fourth loss of the season after allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits over four and 2/3 innings.

Reliever Karlos Morales took over for Cornielle in the fifth and would escape that frame with a quick out before allowing a run in the sixth and two in the seventh. The two-run seventh included a home run from Fayetteville’s Logan Cerny.

Junior Montero finished the game for Carolina and would total three strikeouts against one walk over the final inning and 1/3.

Mejias started for the Woodpecker, but reliever Fabrico Reina earned the win after holding the Mudcats scoreless over three and 1/3 innings pitched. Reina (1-2) struck out five and walked one in the victory.

Reliever Ian Foggo pitched the eighth and ninth and would escape jams in both frames as the Mudcats would end up stranding five men on base (three in eighth) over the final two innings.

Carolina fell behind two games to one in the six-game series with Thursday’s road loss.

HOME RUNS:

Fayetteville: Mascai (4, 4th inning off Cornielle, 1 on, 1 out); Cerny (4, 7th inning off Morales, 0 on, 1 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:

Leones, LF (Carolina): 2-for-5, 0 R, 1 2B

Mendez, RF (Carolina): 1-for-3, 1 R

Cipion, CF (Carolina): 1-for-3, 1 3B, 1 RBI

Cerny, CF (Fayetteville): 3-for-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Molina, 2B (Fayetteville): 1-for-2, 2 R, 1 RBI

Orr, 3B (Fayetteville): 1-for-2, 2 R

Mascai, 1B (Fayetteville): 1-for-4, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:

Cornielle (L, 0-4) (Carolina): 4.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 8 SO

Montero (Carolina): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO

Reina (W, 1-2) (Fayetteville): 3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO

Foggo (Fayetteville): 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO

SCORING:

Mudcats 1st (Mudcats 1, Woodpeckers 0) -- Zack Raabe walks. Eduardo Garcia pops out to Leosdany Molina. Oswel Leones singles to right field, Zack Raabe to 2nd. Hendry Mendez walks, Zack Raabe to 3rd; Oswel Leones to 2nd. Zack Raabe scores on a balk; Oswel Leones advances to 3rd on a balk; Hendry Mendez advances to 2nd on a balk. Jesus Chirinos grounds out, Tyler Whitaker to Victor Mascai. Arbert Cipion strikes out swinging.

(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)

Woodpeckers 1st (Woodpeckers 2, Mudcats 1) -- Tyler Whitaker grounds out, Zack Raabe to Luis Silva. Logan Cerny doubles to right field. Leosdany Molina singles up the middle, Logan Cerny scores; Leosdany Molina to 2nd. Joey Loperfido walks. Leosdany Molina steals 3rd base, Joey Loperfido steals 2nd base, fielding error by Alberis Ferrer. Miguel Palma strikes out swinging. Cody Orr struck out looking.

(2 Runs, 2 Hits, 1 Errors, 1 LOB)

Mudcats 3rd (Mudcats 2, Woodpeckers 2) -- Oswel Leones strikes out swinging. Hendry Mendez walks. Hendry Mendez steals 2nd base. Jesus Chirinos flies out to Logan Cerny. Arbert Cipion triples to left field, Hendry Mendez scores. Alberis Ferrer grounds out, Leosdany Molina to Victor Mascai.

(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Woodpeckers 4th (Woodpeckers 4, Mudcats 2) -- Miguel Palma strikes out swinging. Cody Orr singles to left field. Victor Mascai hits a home run to right-center field on a 0-0 pitch, Cody Orr scores. Kenedy Corona lines out to Arbert Cipion. Yeuris Ramirez strikes out swinging.

(2 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)

Woodpeckers 6th (Woodpeckers 5, Mudcats 2) -- Miguel Palma grounds out, Eduardo Garcia to Luis Silva. Cody Orr walks. Cody Orr steals 2nd base. Victor Mascai strikes out swinging. Kenedy Corona singles through the hole at second base, Cody Orr scores. Kenedy Corona steals 2nd base. Yeuris Ramirez strikes out swinging.

(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Woodpeckers 7th (Woodpeckers 7, Mudcats 2) -- Tyler Whitaker grounds out, Eduardo Garcia to Luis Silva. Logan Cerny hits a home run to right-center field on a 2-0 pitch. Leosdany Molina walks. Missed catch error by Luis Silva on the pickoff attempt, assist to Karlos Morales. Joey Loperfido grounds out, Luis Silva to Karlos Morales. Miguel Palma reaches on fielding error by Alberis Ferrer, Leosdany Molina scores. Pitcher Change: Junior Montero replaces Karlos Morales. Cody Orr walks, Miguel Palma to 2nd. Victor Mascai strikes out swinging.

(2 Runs, 1 Hits, 2 Errors, 2 LOB)