RiverDogs Finish First Half with 3-1 Win Over Fayetteville

June 22, 2023 - Carolina League (CarL)
Charleston RiverDogs News Release

Charleston, SC- The Charleston RiverDogs closed the first half of the 2023 season with a 3-1 win over the Fayetteville Woodpeckers at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park on Thursday night. Four RiverDogs pitchers managed to hold the Woodpeckers off the scoreboard for the final eight innings of the contest. The RiverDogs ended the half with a 27-39 record. The game was played in front of a crowd of 4,251.

Fayetteville (30-36) enjoyed a quick start to the ballgame against Alex Ayala Jr. Zach Cole opened the game by drawing a walk and promptly raced to third base on a double by Luis Encarnacion. Jackson Loftin lined out to third base for the first out. The next batter, John Garcia, hit a chopper to third that Ryan Spikes gloved, but dropped on the transfer. The infield single made it 1-0 in the Woodpeckers favor.

From that point forward, the home team's pitching was dominant. Ayala went 4.0 innings and allowed just one additional hit, while striking out four. Michael Sansone followed with 2.0 scoreless innings, earning the win in the process. Juan Rodriguez also turned in 2.0 solid frames to carry the game through the eighth. Alex Cook recorded his second save of the season by retiring the side in order in the ninth.

The RiverDogs offense mustered only three hits on the night but used eight walks and an error to score three runs. In the second, they grabbed the lead for good. Spikes and Carlos Colmenarez worked consecutive walks to start the inning. The bases became loaded with no outs when Yamal Encarnacion misplayed Odalys Peguero's groundball to second. Jhon Diaz worked the count to 3-1 before jumping on a fastball and lining a base hit to center field that tied the game. Christopher Barete put Charleston on top with a sacrifice fly to left.

The final run of the game was scored in the sixth. Colmenarez worked another of his three walks to start the inning. He advanced to second base on a groundout by Peguero and moved to third on a wild pitch. Estanli Castillo made it 3-1 with a groundout to third that allowed Colmenarez to cross the plate.

Charleston RiverDogs celebrate win

Carolina League Stories from June 22, 2023

• Woodpeckers Drop Final Game of First Half in Charleston - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
• FredNats Split Twin Bill Against Columbia - Fredericksburg Nationals
• Walk-Off Winner Closes Out First-Half of 2023 - Columbia Fireflies
• Shorebirds Lose Back-And-Forth Battle with GreenJackets - Delmarva Shorebirds
• RiverDogs Finish First Half with 3-1 Win Over Fayetteville - Charleston RiverDogs
• First Half Ends with 5-4 Loss to Cannon Ballers - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
• GreenJackets Wrap up First Half with Victory at Delmarva - Augusta GreenJackets
• Mudcats & Hillcats Canceled Thursday - Carolina Mudcats
• Tonight's Fireflies Game Moved up to 5 PM - Columbia Fireflies
• Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 6.22 vs Fredericksburg - Columbia Fireflies

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