Henry and Segovia Homer as Mudcats Sweep Doubleheader in Potomac

WOODBRIDGE, VA - The Mudcats swept both games of a Tuesday night doubleheader in Potomac winning game one 7-2 and taking game two 6-0 against the Nationals at Northwest Federal Field at Pfitzner Stadium. Rob Henry and Christian Taugner led the way in game one with Henry going 2-for-3 with a home run and Taugner turning in a quality start in his season debut. Joantgel Segovia hit a lead off homer and starter Matt Smith struck out five over four scoreless frames in game two.

The twin bill sweep clinched a series victory for the Mudcats (4-2) as they took a two games to none lead in the three game series. The twin bill sweep also clinched a winning record for Carolina in its season opening seven game road trip.
Henry's two hit night in game one began with an inning opening double off Potomac (3-3) starter Malvin Pena in the third. His double also sparked a five run and four hit inning for the Mudcats as Zach Clark, Payton Henry and Mario Feliciano all had hits in the inning. Clark and Payton Henry both drove in two with doubles and Feliciano drove in one with a double of his own. Each of Carolina's four hits in the third were doubles and each of the four came off Pena (0-1, 16.88). It was Feliciano's two-out RBI double in the third that knocked Pena out of the game and forced the P-Nats to go to the pen. 
Reliever Carlos Acevedo followed and eventually finished the third unscathed, but the Mudcats had already taken a 4-0 lead in the game. Acevedo then went on to allow Henry's home run in the fourth and a run scoring sacrifice fly to Dallas Carroll in the fifth. 
Carolina's four run third gave them the lead almost midway through in the doubleheader shortened game and those four runs proved to be more than enough for their starter as Taugner (1-0, 1.50) turned in a quality start to begin his 2019 season. 
Taugner allowed one run in the Potomac half of the third, but went on to allow just the one run on three hits over six innings pitched. He walked two and struck out two while earning the win in what was his first appearance of the season. Reliever Michael Petersen finished the game for the Mudcats and allowed a run on four hits while facing four in the seventh.
The Mudcats totaled five doubles and a home run in game one, but then topped that offensive outburst with 12 hits, including a double from Lutz and Segovia's lead off homer in game two. 
Carolina's game two pitchers, including Smith and relievers Matt Hardy, Cody Beckman and Rodrigo Benoit combined on a three-hit shutout while leading the Mudcats to the 6-0 shutout win and the twin bill sweep. Hardy (1-0, 2.45) earned the win after following Smith and striking out one, facing three in the scoreless fifth. Beckman allowed a hit, but faced just three as well and threw just four pitches in the sixth. Benoit then worked the seventh and struck out one while finishing the game.
Segovia's big fly to start game two was his first of the season and third home run overall for Carolina in 2019. It came on the second pitch of the game from starter Luis Reyes and was Carolina's first lead off homer since Corey Ray led off with a home run on May 26, 2017 versus Myrtle Beach at Five County Stadium.
The Mudcats ended up scoring twice in the first off Reyes (0-1, 12.46) and later added one more in the third and three more in the fifth while taking game two 6-0. Reyes allowed all six runs (all earned) and allowed nine hits over four and 1/3 innings and took the loss. He left the game with the bases loaded in the fifth and reliever A.J. Bogucki ended up allowing all three inherited runners to score. One of three scored on a balk, the other two came across on a RBI single from Nick Roscetti and a force hit into by Segovia.
Segovia went 1-for-4 with a run and two RBI for the Mudcats in game two. Feliciano had a run scoring hit in the third and went 2-for-4 with two RBI as well. Like Feliciano, Lutz, Henry and Hairston each had two hits in the game as well for Carolina.
UP NEXT: The Mudcats will wrap up their season opening road trip with the third and final game of their three game series in Potomac on Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. Carolina will send RHP Bowden Francis (0-0, 4.50) out for the start as they look for the sweep in the three game series against the Nationals. The game will air live on the Mudcats Radio Network, the Big Dawg 98.5 FM and online at carolinamudcats.com and TuneIn Radio.
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