Warbirds Hold off Fayetteville Rally for Second Straight Win
Published on May 9, 2026 under Carolina League (CarL)
Wilson Warbirds News Release
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - For the second night in a row, the Wilson Warbirds used a big inning to propel themselves to a second consecutive win over the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, earning an 8-6 victory Saturday night at SEGRA Stadium.
Wilson (15-17) broke a tie in the sixth inning when Pedro Ibarguen connected on his second home run in as many nights, a two-run shot that gave the Warbirds a 4-2 lead.
In the seventh, Fayetteville (12-20) allowed Wilson to extend its advantage. Jose Varela surrendered runs on a balk and a bases-loaded walk, while Frederi Montero and Luis Lameda added RBI singles. By the end of the inning, the Warbirds had stretched the lead to 8-2.
The Woodpeckers began to rally in the eighth, scoring twice to trim the deficit to 8-5.
Fayetteville continued its comeback attempt in the ninth against Peyton Niksch (S, 1) when Kevin Alvarez scored on a groundout to make it an 8-6 game. However, that was as close as the Woodpeckers would get, as Wilson held on for its second straight victory.
Garrett Hodges (W, 2-1) earned the win out of the bullpen after tossing 2.2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts.
Cole MacRae (L, 0-1) took the loss after allowing three runs over three innings.
The series concludes Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 5:05 p.m. Wilson is set to start right-hander Jarrette Bonet (1-2, 4.23 ERA), while Fayetteville will counter with right-hander Aubrey Smith (0-2, 6.35 ERA).
Carolina League Stories from May 9, 2026
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