Nicasia Homers as Mudcats Win Second Straight 6-3

May 12, 2023 – Carolina League (CarL) – Carolina Mudcats News Release

ZEBULON, N.C. – Kay-Lan Nicasia went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in the eighth, Jadher Areinamo went 3-for-4 with a go-ahead double in the fourth and both Jace Avina and Jheremy Vargas had two hits as the Carolina Mudcats clubbed their way to a series-tying 6-3 victory versus the Fredericksburg Nationals on Friday night at Five County Stadium.

The Mudcats (17-12) totaled 11 hits in the game while reaching double-digits in hits in a game for just the fourth time this season. The 11-hit night was also just the second time that the Mudcats had totaled 10 or more hits in a game since April 25.

The Nationals (10-19) originally led 1-0 in the first after getting a go-ahead RBI single from Sammy Infante off starter Aidan Maldonado. Carolina then tied it with a run in the last of the first when Daniel Guilarte singled, stole a bag and scored on a balk by FredNats stater Pablo Aldonis.

Fredericksburg scored again to take a 2-1 lead in the second, but Maldonado settled in and went on to record seven straight outs from the end of the second and into the fourth while going three and 2/3 innings overall. Maldonado finished his outing with five strikeouts, including four straight between the third and fourth innings.

Reliever Tanner Shears (W, 1-0) replaced Maldonado in the fourth and eventually earned the win after Carolina took the lead in the fourth and while holding Fredericksburg scoreless over two and 1/3 innings. Nick Merkel (S, 1) later worked the final three innings and allowed just one run and totaled a career-high seven strikeouts.

Carolina was down 2-1 after the second, but flipped the game around in the fourth after scoring three runs to take a 4-2 lead. Areinamo drove in two of those three with a bases loaded ground rule double to deep right. Vargas then followed moments later with a RBI single.

The FredNats did manage to pull within one at 4-3 when Infante had his second run-scoring hit of the night in the seventh, but Nicasia and the Mudcats answered with two more runs in the last of the seventh while taking their 6-3 lead.

Nicasia started the seventh with a solo home run off Juan Abreu to lift Carolina to a 5-3 lead. Areinamo and Vargas both followed with hits to then set up Daniel Guilarte who lifted a sac fly to right to score Areinamo as the final run of the game.

With the victory, the Mudcats moved into a tie for first in the Carolina League North Division standings with the…