Another Complete Effort From the Woodies Clinches Series with the Mudcats

KINSTON, NC - An early attack of offense led the Wood Ducks (17-35, 52-70) in a 6-2 series-clinching win over the Mudcats (23-27, 57-63). Leody Taveras flirted with a cycle and led the offense with a huge night at the plate. 

Anderson Tejeda, Chuck Leblanc, and Alex Kowalczyk added multi-hit nights with Taveras who finished 3-for-5 and a double shy of the cycle. Tejeda also clocked his 16th homer of the season as now both he and Leblanc keep the team lead in RBIs with 64.
Not to be ignored, Emerson Martinez delivered his team-leading 10th quality start and finished with eight strikeouts in six innings of work. Martinez was the pitcher of record in a win for the first time in the second half as well. 
Taveras gave the Wood Ducks the lead two pitches into the bottom of the first with a solo blast to right. It was his second leadoff homer of the season and fifth overall. Leblanc added a sac fly later in the frame to give Martinez a 2-0 lead after one.
It was Leody again in the second with a two-out single through the right side to bring home another run. Down East avoided a shutdown inning in the fourth when Taveras again registered a two-out RBI with a triple down the right-field line to space-out the margin to 4-2.
Two more runs in the fifth inning was kicked off by Tejeda's homer to straightaway center. He is currently second on the team with 16 dingers, continuing to set a new career-high for the 20-year-old. A hard-hit single by Kowalczyk later in the inning brought home the sixth and final run for the Woodies.
Martinez exited after six innings and 99 pitches for lefty Christian Torres. It was Torres' first appearance in a month since he was activated from the DL on Tuesday. He tossed a single scoreless inning in his return.
Royce Bolinger had the final two frames and only allowed an infield single with a pair of strikeouts in his appearance. In all, the Wood Duck staff retired 16 of the final 17 batters faced in the win. Down East also maintains its perfect record at home against the Mudcats this season, 8-0.
The Woodies look for the sweep on Thursday in the final throwback Thursday of the season. The Kinston Indians jerseys worn by the team will be available for auction through the fifth inning and available immediately after the game for the winners. Gates open at 6:00p.m., first pitch is scheduled for 7:00 at Grainger Stadium.