Clarke Hits First Homer as a Mudcat in 11-6 Loss

Carolina 6 @ Down East 11

August 12, 2021 | Venue : Grainger Stadium | First pitch : 7:01 PM | Att : 1,374 | T : 3:38

CAR: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 6 9 0
DE: 2 2 0 0 0 5 2 0 0 11 9 1

WP: Florencio Serrano (3 - 0) LP: Michele Vassalotti (4 - 6)

KINSTON – Wes Clarke hit his first home run as a Mudcat, Sal Frelick recorded his second straight multi-hit game and Noah Campbell had a two-run single, but the Mudcats fell 11-6 to the Wood Ducks at Grainger Stadium in Kinston on Thursday night.

The Wood Ducks (49-37) jumped out to a 4-0 lead before the third after scoring twice in the first and twice in the second against Carolina (52-35) starter Michele Vassalotti. Down East later added five runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh before the Mudcats rallied for six runs in the eighth. That six run eighth ended up not being enough as Carolina fell 11-6.

Vassalotti (4-6, 6.88) ended up with the loss after allowing the four early runs and after walking six and hitting three others (including one that forced in a run in the first). Vassalotti struck out five, allowed just three hits and held the Wood Ducks scoreless over three straight innings between the third and fifth before leaving the game with 91 pitches (41 strikes) thrown.

Down East’s Jose Acosta drove in the game’s first run with a RBI double in the first and went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI for Down East. Luisangel Acuna drove in two runs in the sixth with a double and scored on a home run hit by Thomas Saggese later in the sixth. Acuna had three hits in all while going 3-for-5 with three RBI and a run scored. Alejando Asuna hit ninth in the game and went 1-for-3 with three runs scored.

Carolina reliever Christian Tripp allowed all five Down East runs in the sixth. Tripp, who had recorded back-to-back scoreless outings (6.0 IP, 0 R) in his first two appearances with the Mudcats, recorded just two outs in the sixth before leaving. Cam Robinson followed and went on to go through the next inning and 1/3 while allowing two runs and three hits. Infielder Ashton McGee pitched the eighth and managed to hold the Wood Ducks scoreless over an inning of work on the mound. The pitching appearance was McGee’s fourth overall this season and his third against the Wood Ducks

Carolina was down 11-0 before getting six runs in the eighth on a two-run single from Campbell and Clarke’s three-run home run (his first with Carolina). The two former South Carolina Gamecocks combined to drive in five of Carolina’s runs in the game with Campbell going 2-for-4 with two RBI and Clarke going 1-for-2 with three RBI.

The loss dropped the Mudcats to 2.5 games ahead of the Wood Ducks in the Low-A East Central standings. The loss also saw Down East take a 2-1 lead in the six-game series in Kinston. The series will continue on Friday night beginning at 7:00 p.m. at Grainger Stadium in Kinston.

HOME RUNS:

Carolina HR : Clarke, W (1, 8th inning off Church, 2 on, 0 out).

Down East HR : Saggese (9, 6th inning off Tripp, 1 on, 2 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:

Frelick, DH (Carolina): 3-for-5, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

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

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

Acosta, 3B (Down East): 2-for-3, 2 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI

Acuna, 2B (Down East): 3-for-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 3 RBI

Saggese, SS (Down East): 1-for-2, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Osuna, A, LF (Down East): 1-for-3, 3 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:

Robinson (Carolina): 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO

McGee (Carolina): 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO

Serrano (W, 3-0) (Down East): 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO

Ortega, T (Down East): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO

Cole (Down East): 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO

SCORING:
Wood Ducks 1st (Wood Ducks 2, Mudcats 0) -- Jayce Easley walks. Jayce Easley steals 2nd base. Jose Acosta doubles to left-center field, Jayce Easley scores. Luisangel Acuna grounds out, Freddy Zamora to Wes Clarke, Jose Acosta to 3rd. Keyber Rodriguez struck out looking. Thomas Saggese walks. Cristian Inoa hit by pitch, Thomas Saggese to 2nd. Angel Aponte hit by pitch, Jose Acosta scores; Thomas Saggese to 3rd; Cristian Inoa to 2nd. Xavier Valentin struck out looking.

(2 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 3 LOB)

Wood Ducks 2nd (Wood Ducks 4, Mudcats 0) -- Alejandro Osuna walks. Alejandro Osuna steals 2nd base. Jayce Easley walks. Jose Acosta bunt singles to shallow center field, Alejandro Osuna to 3rd; Jayce Easley to 2nd. Luisangel Acuna pops out to Felix Valerio on the infield fly rule. Keyber Rodriguez out on a sacrifice fly to Andre Nnebe, Alejandro Osuna scores; Jayce Easley to 3rd. Jose Acosta steals 2nd base. Thomas Saggese hit by pitch. Cristian Inoa walks, Jayce Easley scores; Jose Acosta to 3rd; Thomas Saggese to 2nd. Angel Aponte grounds into a force out, fielded by Gabe Holt, Thomas Saggese out at 3rd.

(2 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 3 LOB)

Wood Ducks 6th (Wood Ducks 9, Mudcats 0) -- Pitcher Change: Christian Tripp replaces Michele Vassalotti. Xavier Valentin walks. Xavier Valentin steals 2nd base. Alejandro Osuna walks, Xavier Valentin to 3rd;wild pitch by Christian Tripp. Alejandro Osuna steals 2nd base. Jayce Easley strikes out swinging. Jose Acosta walks. Luisangel Acuna doubles to center field, Xavier Valentin scores; Alejandro Osuna scores; Jose Acosta to 3rd. Keyber Rodriguez grounds out, Gabe Holt to Wes Clarke, Jose Acosta scores; Luisangel Acuna to 3rd. Thomas Saggese hits a home run to center field on a 3-1 pitch, Luisangel Acuna scores. Pitcher Change: Cam Robinson replaces Christian Tripp. Cristian Inoa grounds out, Freddy Zamora to Wes Clarke.

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

Wood Ducks 7th (Wood Ducks 11, Mudcats 0) -- Angel Aponte singles to center field. Xavier Valentin struck out looking. Alejandro Osuna singles to center field, Angel Aponte to 2nd. Wild pitch by Cam Robinson, Angel Aponte to 3rd; Alejandro Osuna to 2nd. Jayce Easley walks. Jose Acosta walks, Angel Aponte scores; Alejandro Osuna to 3rd; Jayce Easley to 2nd. Luisangel Acuna singles to right-center field, Alejandro Osuna scores; Jayce Easley to 3rd; Jose Acosta to 2nd. Keyber Rodriguez lines out to Micah Bello. Thomas Saggese flies out to Micah Bello.

(2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors, 3 LOB)

Mudcats 8th (Wood Ducks 11, Mudcats 6) -- Pitcher Change: Marc Church replaces Teodoro Ortega. Sal Frelick singles to shallow center field. Gabe Holt walks, Sal Frelick to 2nd. Freddy Zamora singles to left-center field, Sal Frelick to 3rd; Gabe Holt to 2nd. Felix Valerio walks, Sal Frelick scores; Gabe Holt to 3rd; Freddy Zamora to 2nd. Noah Campbell singles to right-center field, Gabe Holt scores; Freddy Zamora scores; Felix Valerio to 3rd. Wes Clarke hits a home run to left field on a 1-0 pitch, Felix Valerio scores; Noah Campbell scores. Pitcher Change: Mason Cole replaces Marc Church. Micah Bello grounds out, Mason Cole to Cristian Inoa. Darrien Miller pops out to Jose Acosta. Andre Nnebe strikes out swinging.

(6 Runs, 4 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)