Zebulon, NC - Reece Walling put just enough air under a sacrifice fly to center field, allowing Josh Adamczewski to slide home with the winning run as the Carolina Mudcats walked off the Charleston RiverDogs 9-8 in 10 innings on Wednesday at Five County Stadium. RiverDogs pitching issued a season-high 10 walks in the loss. The team is now 3-6 in extra innings this season.
The game entered the extra frame even at 8-8. The RiverDogs were unable to score in the top of the frame against lefty Anfernny Reyes. Jonalbert Rumbol stayed in for the bottom of the inning and allowed a groundball to short that moved the winning run to third base. Walling then lined a ball to deep left that allowed Adamczewski to slide around the tag attempt of J.D. Gonzalez with the decisive run.
The RiverDogs (19-11, 46-49) scored in the first inning for the second straight night. Adrian Santana beat out an infield single to start the rally. He raced all the way around the bases to score on a triple by Noah Myers that caromed off the right field wall. Jhon Diaz doubled the advantage with a sacrifice fly to deep left.
Carolina (17-14, 57-38) answered right back in the bottom half of the frame. Garrett Edwards surrendered a one-out single up the middle to Juan Baez. He then entered a battle with clean-up hitter Josh Adamczewski, ending in a full count. Edwards tried to challenge Adamczewski with a fastball and the second baseman drove it deep over the right field wall to tie the game 2-2.
The Charleston offense kept humming with another crooked number in the third. The top of the order loaded the bases with no outs on a single, bunt base hit and walk. Diaz then drove in two more with a line drive single to right. Before the inning ended, Carlos Colmenarez added an RBI single to left that made it 5-2.
Will Stevens took over with that same lead in the bottom of the sixth and struggled to find the zone. The right-hander walked three batters, including one with the bases loaded to make it 5-3. Gerlin Rosario took over and allowed Carolina to tie the game with a pair of wild pitches. A sacrifice fly by Eric Bitonti gave Carolina the lead and Adamczewski’s double in the ensuing at-bat added to the advantage.
The lead ping-ponged back to the RiverDogs in the top of the seventh. Myers began the inning by beating out an infield single and then advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches. Diaz took a walk to put men on the corners. Morris Austin hit Colmenarez in the helmet with a pitch to load the bases. The runner was also hit on the helmet by the first baseman’s throw toward second on a groundball by Jose Perez, allowing a run to score with the bases remaining loaded. Enzo Paulino’s fielder’s choice bouncer to the right side evened the score again at 7-7. The Dogs grabbed the lead again when Ricardo Gonzalez punched a base hit into center in the next at-bat.
A leadoff walk haunted Rosario and the RiverDogs in the bottom of the eight, however. That walk to Baez resulted in Adamczewski’s double to dead center tying the game two batters later.
Adamczewski was retired just once, finishing 3-4 with two doubles, a home run and four RBI in his second game in the Carolina League. Daniel Guilarte and Miguel Briceno each added two hits for Carolina. Meanwhile, the RiverDogs received two hits each from Polanco, Santana, Myers and Ricardo Gonzalez. They finished with 12 as a team.
The third installment of the six-game series will take place on Thursday evening. LHP Drew Dowd (3-5, 3.21) will be on the mound first for the RiverDogs. RHP Daniel Corniel (3-5, 4.48) will counter for the Mudcats. First pitch is at 6:30 p.m.
The RiverDogs continue their hunt for a fourth-consecutive Carolina League championship in 2024. The full schedule of games is available here.
Carolina 9, Charleston 8 (10 Innings)
July 31, 2024
Click here for the box score
Charleston (R-H-E): 8-12-1
Carolina (R-H-E): 9-11-1
Win: Reyes (3-0)
Loss: Rumbol (1-4)
Save:
HR: Charleston: None
HR: Carolina: Josh Adamczewski (1, 1st inning, 1 on base)