Red Sox Drop Heartbreaker in 11

SALEM, Va. – The opening day festivities endured on a frigid Friday night as the Red Sox played host to the Carolina Mudcats to begin the 2024 campaign. Winners of the second-half in the Carolina League North last season, Zebulon’s own picked up where they left off with a 6-4 extra-inning win in the season opener.

Carolina struck first as No.10 prospect in the Brewers organization, Cooper Pratt, cranked a two-out double over the head of the center fielder, Miguel Bleis to get the bats going. He was followed up by an RBI-single off the barrel of JUCO standout Tayden Hall to give the Mudcats the early 1-0 lead.

Salem fought back, scoring two runs in the bottom of the second inning after a three-up-three down display in the road half. After a walk and a hit-by-pitch, Miguel Bleis got the scoring going with a two-RBI single to left, giving the Red Sox a 2-1 lead.

The Mudcats responded in the third to tie the game at two with a run-scoring single from Cooper Pratt, allowing Bricendo to cross home, who was aboard via a hit-by-pitch.

The scoring would halt in the fourth and the fifth innings, before Salem regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Johanfran Garcia set the tone with a leadoff double. Jhostynxon Garcia “helped a brother out” with another double to score a run and give the Red Sox a 3-2 lead.

The stalemate continued in the seventh and the eighth, before Carolina found an equalizer in the top of the ninth inning. Miguel Briceno flew out to start the inning, before Juan Baez reached second on a throwing error by Red Sox shortstop, Marvin Alcantara, leaving the door cracked. Up to the dish, Yophery Rodriguez, struck out swinging for the second out. Down to their final strike, who other than Cooper Pratt to rip a stand-up RBI-triple to the wall in right field to tie the game.

The Red Sox had their chance and couldn’t capitalize in the bottom of the ninth. The Mudcats walked the bases loaded with nobody out. Dead in the water with the bases juiced and No. 5 Red Sox prospect, Miguel Bleis, to the plate, Carolina forced a double-play on a line drive to Cooper Pratt at short and a force at first. 2023 third-round draft pick, Antonio Anderson, struck out to end the inning with runners on second and third.

It was all business for Carolina in extras, as the Mudcats scored three runs on two hits, a pair of walks, and an error in the 10th. Despite efforts, Salem couldn’t keep up in the home half, notching just one run before the game ended, 6-4.

Carolina were perfect defensively, without an error, while Salem’s timely errors cost them the game in the ninth and 10th.

Both teams threw three arms and the Red Sox amassed 10 strikeouts as a staff, while the Mudcats accounted for 14 K’s in the win.

The two teams go at it again on Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. in Salem before the Red Sox are on the road in Delmarva next week.

Location: Salem Memorial Ballpark

First Pitch: 7:07 p.m.

Time of Game: 3:21