Wood and Guilarte Lead the Way in 6-2 Victory

May 4, 2023 – Carolina League (CarL) – Carolina Mudcats News Release

SALISBURY, M.D. – Matt Wood went 3-for-4 with a go-ahead three-run home run in the second, Daniel Guilarte went 2-for-4 with three RBI while extending his hitting streak to 13 consecutive games and pitchers Patricio Aquino and Tyler Wehrle combined to hold the Delmarva Shorebirds to just a couple of runs as the Carolina Mudcats won their eighth road game of the season 6-2 on Thursday night in Salisbury M.d.

Jheremy Vargas started the Carolina fourth with a single off Delmarva starter Wyatt Cheney (L, 1-2). Jesus Parra followed with a strikeout, but Blayberg Diaz walked and Guilarte singled to both score Vargas and extend his hitting streak to 13 consecutive games. The Vargas run tied the game at 1-1 and Wood’s two-out, three-run home run a couple of batters later put the Mudcats up 4-1.

Wood’s home run was his third of the season and his second three-run blast in Carolina’s six-game series against the Shorebirds. Overall, Wood went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and three RBI.

Carolina’s 4-1 lead held through the sixth before the Shorebirds rallied for a run in the seventh to make it 4-2. Guilarte later answered that lone seventh inning run with a two-run single in the ninth while lifting the Mudcats to eventual 6-2 final.

Guilarte, like Wood, drove in three runs while going 2-for-4 with what was his eighth multi-hit game of the season. With the multi-hit game, Guilarte extended his hitting streak to 13 and his on-base streak to 23 consecutive games.

Aquino (W, 1-1) started for the Mudcats and worked around a first inning, leadoff home run from Carter Young while holding the Shorebirds to just one run over five full innings pitched. Aquino scattered four hits, allowed one run, walked one and totaled seven strikeouts while earning his first victory of the season.

Wehrle worked the last half of the game and earned the save after allowing just one run and two hits the rest of the way. Wehrle (S, 1) walked one and struck out five while closing things out for the Mudcats.

The victory lifted Carolina to a 2-1 lead in the six-game road series. The victory also brought the Mudcats and Shorebirds back into a tie for first place in the Carolina League North Division standings.

The series will continue on Friday night in Delmarva with the fourth game of the six-game set.

The Mudcats next return home on Tuesday, May 9 when they begin a six-game homestand versus the Fredericksburg Nationals at Five…