Carolina Drops Series Opener 5-4 to Down East

ZEBULON, N.C. - Mario Feliciano went 2-for-4 and drove in two runs while extending his league leading RBI total to 52 on the season, but the Mudcats failed to overcome a five run deficit in the second while falling to the visiting Wood Ducks 5-4 on Monday night at Five County Stadium. 
 

Down East (2-3, 52-23) jumped out to an early 5-0 lead in the game after scoring three runs in the first and two runs in the second off Carolina (3-2, 42-32) starter Christian Taugner. All five early runs were scored with two outs and were allowed on five against Taugner (L, 2-5, 5.82), who ended up with the loss in Monday's series opening game. Taugner allowed five runs on six hits, walked three and struck out four over three and 2/3 innings while starting for Carolina.
Ryan Dorow got the Wood Ducks going in the opening frame after reaching on a one-out single to left, before later scoring on a first and third double steal with Dorow taking home and Yanio Perez taking second. Sam Huff then followed with a RBI double and JP Martinez added a RBI single to right later in the frame to stretch the early lead to 3-0.
The Wood Ducks then took a 5-0 lead in the second when Perez connected on a two-out, two-run double off Taugner. The Perez double scored both Tyler Depreta-Johnson and Dorow who had singled and been hit-by-a-pitch respectively earlier in the inning.
The Wood Ducks led 5-0 after the second, but Carolina's bullpen arms stifled the Down East offense the rest of the way as Cody Beckman, Michael Petersen and Clayton Andrews combined on five and 1/3 scoreless frames.
Beckman stranded an inherited runner when he entered in the fourth and ended up going two scoreless frames in all with two strikeouts and one walk. Petersen followed and left two inherited runners on while also striking out two over an inning and 1/3. Andrews wrapped things up with three strikeouts, a walk and one hit over the final two innings of Monday's series opener. 
With the bullpen holding the Wood Ducks scoreless, the Carolina offense would then rally back with two runs in the fourth and two runs in the sixth while cutting the lead down to 5-4.
Carolina's two run fourth included a lead off single from Rob Henry and back-to-back walks for Ryan Aguilar and Tristen Lutz. Feliciano then singled in one with his first of two run scoring hits in the game to cut the lead to 5-1. Payton Henry then forced in a run after hitting into a double play.
Carolina scored both of its fourth inning runs against Down East starter Collin Wiles, but those two would be all they could manage as Wiles (1-0, 3.60) eventually earned the win. Wiles, in his first start with the Wood Ducks this season, struck out seven, walked two and allowed two runs on four hits while earning the victory. It was also just his second appearance overall as the right-hander is rehabbing his way back through the Texas farm system.
Reliever Scott Engler followed Wiles in the sixth and wound up allowing Carolina to pull within one of the lead after allowing two unearned runs to score. Rob Henry started the sixth by reaching third thanks to two Down East throwing errors. He then scored on Feliciano's second run scoring hit of the game and a bases loaded walk for Zach Clark later in the frame ended up forcing in Carolina's second run against Engler to cut the lead to 5-4.
Engler (H, 2) eventually escaped the sixth without allowing another run and worked through two innings in all while allowing just the two unearned runs on three hits. He also walked one and struck out three while earning the hold.
Joe Kuzia (S, 7) pitched the final two innings and held Carolina scoreless while allowing one hit, walked one and totaling one strikeout to earn his seventh save of the season.
The loss snapped Carolina's three game win streak, while also breaking Down East's three game skid. 
The series will continue on Tuesday night with House Autry All-You-Can-Eat Tuesday and a 7:00 p.m. start time at Five County Stadium.
The game will air live on the Mudcats Radio Network, The Big Dawg 98.5 FM and online at carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio. The game will also stream live in full high-definition video on MiLB.tv via Minor League Baseball's subscription service.
Individual game tickets, season ticket plans, group ticket packages and the latest mini plans are all available now by visiting the Five County Stadium front office, by calling (919) 269-CATS (2287) and by visiting carolinamudcats.com/tickets.
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