Mendez Homers and Collects Four Hits in 4-3 Victory

Fayetteville 3 @ Carolina 4

July 02, 2022 | Venue : Five County Stadium | First pitch : 6:34 PM | Att : 5,582 | T : 2:03

FAY: 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 3 5 1

CAR: 0 0 1 0 0 2 1 0 x 4 8 0

WP: Edwin Jimenez (2 - 3) LP: Shea Barry (0 - 3)

ZEBULON – Hendry Mendez went 4-for-4 with a home run, Jackson Chourio hit a go-ahead homer in the sixth and Edwin Jimenez struck out six over four innings in relief as the Carolina Mudcats defeated the Fayetteville Woodpecker 4-3 with a crowd of 5,582 in attendance on Saturday night at Five County Stadium. The series clinching victory gave the Mudcats a 4-1 lead in the six-game series and was their third straight.

The Woodpeckers (2-6, 33-40) initially led 1-0 on second inning home run from Logan Cerny off Carolina (4-4, 38-36) starter Fernando Olguin. The home run was Cerny’s 12th of the season and broke a scoreless tie as it put Fayetteville up 1-0.

We're tied 1-1 on a Hendry Mendez home run in the 3rd! pic.twitter.com/6jdEwpgarp

— Carolina Mudcats (@CarolinaMudcats) July 2, 2022

With the Mudcats down a run, Mendez would go on to tie the game with a solo home run in the third to lock the game up at 1-1. The home run was his third of the season and his second of his four hits. It was also hit off starter Nic Swanson, and like Olguin, was his only run allowed in the game.

The game remained tied at 1-1 through the fifth until Chourio broke the tie with a solo home run, his ninth, off reliever Shea Barry in the sixth. Jean Carmona followed with a single on the very next pitch. Carmona then stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch before scoring on an Oswal Leones sac fly.

Carolina was up 3-1 after six before both sides traded runs in the seventh to make it 4-2. Fayetteville scored theirs on a RBI double from Justin Williams. Carolina’s run came on a double steal with Mendez stealing second and Luis Silva taking home. Fayetteville scored once more in the eighth after Rainier Rivas doubled and advanced around to score on consecutive flyouts, the second of which being a sac fly from Cody Orr.

Reliever Edwin Jimenez (2-3) allowed the final two Fayetteville runs over the seventh and eighth, but also struck out the side in the ninth while earning the win. Jimenez (2-3) totaled six strikeouts, one walk, two hits and two runs while earning the victory. Olguin ended up without a decision, but also struck out six and walked one while allowing just a run on two hits over five innings.

Barry (0-3) took the loss after giving up three runs (two earned) over five innings. He also walked one and struck out four. Swanson struck out five, walked one and allowed a run on four hits in his start.

Carolina took a 4-1 lead and a series victory in the six-game set with the Woodpeckers. The series concludes on Sunday night with the finale of the six-game set, and the third straight night of Carolina’s Mudcats for America post-game fireworks series of games at Five County Stadium.

HOME RUNS:

Fayetteville: Cerny (12, 2nd inning off Olguin, 0 on, 0 out).

Carolina: Mendez (3, 3rd inning off Swanson, 0 on, 2 out); Chourio (9, 6th inning off Barry, 0 on, 1 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:

Mendez, RF (Carolina): 4-for-4, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Quero, C (Carolina): 1-for-3, 0 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

Chourio, CF (Carolina): 1-for-4, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Carmona, 2B (Carolina): 1-for-3, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

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

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

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

Rivas, R, DH (Fayetteville): 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:

Olguin (Carolina): 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO

Jimenez (W, 2-3) (Carolina): 4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO

Swanson (Fayetteville): 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO

Barry (L, 0-3) (Fayetteville): 3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO

SCORING:

Woodpeckers 2nd (Woodpeckers 1, Mudcats 0) -- Logan Cerny hits a home run to left field on a 3-2 pitch. Miguel Palma grounds out, Jheremy Vargas to Luis Silva. Yeuris Ramirez strikes out swinging. Rainier Rivas grounds out to Fernando Olguin.

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

Mudcats 3rd (Woodpeckers 1, Mudcats 1) -- Jheremy Vargas grounds out, Leosdany Molina to Justin Williams. Luis Silva grounds out, Nic Swanson to Justin Williams. Hendry Mendez hits a home run to right field on a 3-0 pitch. Eduardo Garcia strikes out swinging.

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

Mudcats 6th (Mudcats 3, Woodpeckers 1) -- Pitcher Change: Shea Barry replaces Nic Swanson. Jeferson Quero lines out to Jaxon Hallmark. Jackson Chourio hits a home run to left-center field on a 0-1 pitch. Jean Carmona singles to left-center field. Jean Carmona steals 2nd base, Jean Carmona to 3rd;wild pitch by Shea Barry. Oswal Leones out on a sacrifice fly to Joey Loperfido, Jean Carmona scores. Jesus Chirinos flies out to Joey Loperfido.

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

Woodpeckers 7th (Mudcats 3, Woodpeckers 2) -- Joey Loperfido singles to left-center field. Joey Loperfido steals 2nd base. Justin Williams doubles through the hole at shortstop, Joey Loperfido scores. Logan Cerny grounds out, Jheremy Vargas to Luis Silva. Miguel Palma flies out to Jackson Chourio. Yeuris Ramirez strikes out swinging.

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

Mudcats 7th (Mudcats 4, Woodpeckers 2) -- Jheremy Vargas struck out looking. Luis Silva singles to shallow left field. Hendry Mendez singles to shallow right field, throwing error by Jaxon Hallmark. Hendry Mendez steals 2nd base. Eduardo Garcia strikes out swinging. Passed ball by Miguel Palma, Luis Silva scores; Hendry Mendez to 3rd. Jeferson Quero walks. Jackson Chourio strikes out swinging.

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

Woodpeckers 8th (Mudcats 4, Woodpeckers 3) -- Rainier Rivas doubles to left-center field. Jaxon Hallmark flies out to Jackson Chourio, Rainier Rivas to 3rd. Cody Orr out on a sacrifice fly to Jackson Chourio, Rainier Rivas scores. Leosdany Molina strikes out swinging.

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