Birthday Blast Powers Howlers to Series Win
Published on April 12, 2026 under Carolina League (CarL)
Hill City Howlers News Release
The Hill City Howlers won their first home series of the season as they downed the Fredericksburg Nationals 5-2 on Sunday afternoon.
The Howlers pitching staff combined for 16 strikeouts in the game, only surrendering five hits, stifling a strong Nationals lineup and jumping them in the early season standings.
The first three innings were quiet, despite the Howlers having to work out of a jam in the third inning. It was not until the fourth that Anthony Martinez delivered his first home run of the year. The two-run shot came on his 22nd birthday.
Luke Dickerson responded a few innings later with a solo blast, cutting the FredNat deficit to one.
In the sixth, Jonathan Martinez drove home a run with an RBI single. With Cannon Peebles coming around to score, the two-run lead was re-established. In the ensuing chaos, a baserunning blunder ended, but not before the Howlers moved in front 3-1.
The top of the seventh swung the game back towards the Nationals. Yeremy Cabrera doubled home a run to right field, trimming the Howlers lead back to one.
Hill City loaded up the bases in the eighth inning with no one out, but they once again failed to find a timely hit. However, two runs would come home on a Jose Pirela hit by pitch and Dauri Fernandez walk. Heading to the ninth, the Howlers led 5-2.
The score line stayed there as Luke Fernandez slammed the door shut on any FredNat comeback as he earned his first save of the season.
The Howlers head on the road to christen the Wilson Warbirds new ballpark with a series on Tuesday evening. Hill City returns home on April 21 for a six-game stint against the Wilson Warbirds. Tickets are available at hchowlers.com.
Carolina League Stories from April 12, 2026
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- Pelicans Scuffled by Fireflies Early Grand Slam 8-3 - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- RiverDogs' Five-Game Win Streak Snapped in Sunday Finale with Woodpeckers - Charleston RiverDogs
- Cabrera Slam Powers Fireflies to 8-3 Win - Columbia Fireflies
- RidgeYaks Strike for 16 Runs in One-Sided Win over Wilson - Salem RidgeYaks
- Warbirds Fall in Series Finale to Salem - Wilson Warbirds
- GreenJackets Rally to Steal Series Finale in Delmarva - Delmarva Shorebirds
- FredNats Drop Series Finale to Howlers, 5-2 - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Birthday Blast Powers Howlers to Series Win - Hill City Howlers
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes vs Myrtle Beach 4.12 - Columbia Fireflies
- Wilson Snaps Salem's Five-Game Winning Streak in 6-3 Loss to Warbirds - Salem RidgeYaks
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