Fernandez and Wood Power Mudcats to 5-2 Victory

Aquino, Figueroa and Wehrle struck out 14 in Carolina’s series opening victory

Eduarqui Fernandez - Carolina Mudcats (Credit: Neal Hock)

April 18, 2023

CAR: 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 5 5 0
DE: 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 4 1

WP: Tyler Wehrle (1 - 0) LP: Luis Ramirez (0 - 1)

KINSTON, N.C. – Eduarqui Fernandez went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in the eighth, Matt Wood went 2-for-4 with a two-run double in the fifth and pitchers Patricio Aquino, Jeferson Figueroa and Tyler Wehrle combined for 14 strikeouts in a 5-2 Carolina Mudcats victory versus the Down East Wood Ducks at Grainger Stadium on Tuesday night.

Luis Ramirez started for the Wood Ducks (5-4) and walked three straight Mudcats (4-5) to start the game. He then hit Tayden Hall to force in the game’s first run and later walked in another after putting Hedbert Perez on via base on balls. Ramirez left the game after walking Perez and ended up with the loss after allowing two runs on fth tour hits over 2/3 innings.

Carolina led 2-0 after one, but the Wood Ducks bounced back when Abimelec Ortiz brought in a run with a bases loaded single off Aquino. That run, however, would be all Aquino would allow both in the second and throughout the remainder of his start. Aquino worked into the fifth and finished with just one run allowed while scattering a couple of hits. He also totaled seven strikeouts against three walks while facing 19 and reaching 78 pitches (49 strikes).

Figueroa took over for Aquino in the fifth and went on to finish the frame with two outs, including one strikeout. Wehrle (W, 1-0) then took it the rest of the way while working the final four frames with one hit, one unearned run and six strikeouts.

With Aquino, Figueroa and Wehrle cruising on the mound, the Carolina offense would extend its lead from 2-1 through the fourth, to 4-1 after five thanks to a two-run double from Wood. Fernandez then extended the lead to 5-1 in the eighth while connecting on his first home run of the season. Fernandez went 3-for-4 overall, becoming the first Mudcats player to record three hits in a game this season.

The victory was Carolina’s second straight overall and lifted them closer to .500 as they improved to 4-5 on the season. The Mudcats and Wood Ducks will continue their series on Wednesday morning at Grainger Stadium with an 11:00 a.m. start time.

HOME RUNS:
Carolina: HR: Fernandez, E (1, 8th inning off Montalvo, 0 on, 1 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:
Fernandez, E, RF (Carolina): 3-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Wood, C (Carolina): 2-for-4, 1 2B2 RBI
Figuereo, 3B (Down East): 1-for-2, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:
Aquino (Carolina): 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 SO
Figueroa (W, 1-0) (Carolina): 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO
Wehrle (S, 1) (Carolina): 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 SO
Mendoza, D (Down East): 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO
Kelley (Down East): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO

SCORING:
Mudcats 1st (Mudcats 2, Wood Ducks 0) -- Barrios walks Guilarte walks, Barrios to 2nd Hall walks, Barrios to 3rd, Guilarte to 2nd Adams hit by pitch, Barrios scores, Guilarte to 3rd, Hall to 2nd Wood strikes out Avina strikes out H Perez walks, Guilarte scores, Hall to 3rd, Adams to 2nd (#25) Damian Mendoza replaces (#30) Luis Ramirez at P Areinamo grounds out, P D Mendoza to 1B Ortiz
(2 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 3 LOB)

Wood Ducks 2nd (Mudcats 2, Wood Ducks 1) -- Figuereo walks Mitchell hit by pitch, Figuereo to 2nd Blackmon strikes out Villarroel singles to LF H Perez, Figuereo to 3rd, Mitchell to 2nd Ortiz singles to SS Barrios, Figuereo scores, Mitchell to 3rd, Villarroel to 2nd Cueva strikes out Gutierrez flies out to LF H Perez
(1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 3 LOB)

Mudcats 5th (Mudcats 4, Wood Ducks 1) -- (#15) Joseph Montalvo replaces (#25) Damian Mendoza at P Guilarte grounds out, P Montalvo to 1B Ortiz Hall walks Adams walks, Hall to 2nd Wood doubles to RF Blackmon, Hall scores, Adams scores Avina strikes out H Perez strikes out
(2 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Mudcats 8th (Mudcats 5, Wood Ducks 1) -- Areinamo lines out to CF Gutierrez E Fernandez homers to CF, E Fernandez scores Barrios strikes out Guilarte strikes out
(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)

Wood Ducks 9th (Mudcats 5, Wood Ducks 2) -- Moller strikes out Figuereo homers to RF, Figuereo scores Mitchell flies out to RF E Fernandez
(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)