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Big Second Inning Dooms Wood Ducks in Loss

The Woodies remain firm in the hunt for the first half title
(Matthew Edwards/Down East Wood Ducks)
June 8, 2018

ZEBULON, NC - The Wood Ducks (31-28) could not make the comeback in a 13-4 loss to the Mudcats (30-29) on Thursday night. Chuck Leblanc had his third consecutive multi-hit game in the loss and Franklin Rollin cranked his third homer of the season.

ZEBULON, NC - The Wood Ducks (31-28) could not make the comeback in a 13-4 loss to the Mudcats (30-29) on Thursday night. Chuck Leblanc had his third consecutive multi-hit game in the loss and Franklin Rollin cranked his third homer of the season.

Down East actually scored first in the contest, an RBI single from Melvin Novoa that brought home Leblanc. However the bottom of the inning would turn all of the momentum to Carolina.
The Mudcats scored six runs on five hits, three walks, and a hit batter in the inning. Carolina would bring 11 batters to the plate in the big frame as it turned out to be plenty of offense in the game.
They would add runs in each of the next two innings to swell the lead up to 11-1 through four innings. Every pitcher for the Wood Ducks in the defeat gave up at least two earned runs, including first baseman Josh Altmann. The position came in for the final two innings on the mound in the blowout.
Leblanc's second hit of the game came in the sixth with am RBI double to left to score Matt Whatley. For Whatley, it was his seventh game with a hit in his last ten and Leblanc's RBI pushed his total to 42.
The Woodies added two in the ninth thanks to a Franklin Rollin homer to left to make the final a single digit defeat.
Even with the loss the Wood Ducks did not lose any ground in the first half race. Both Winston-Salem and Buies Creek lost on Thursday as Down East remains a game and a half back for first place.
The DEWDs return home on Friday for the final homestand of the first half - a six-gamer with Buies Creek and Wilmington set to visit Grainger Stadium. The stretch begins 11 games in 10 days to close the first half.