CarL Fayetteville Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers Erase Two Deficits Before Falling in Extra Innings

Published on July 29, 2023 under Carolina League (CarL)
Fayetteville Woodpeckers News Release


Fayetteville Woodpeckers at bat
Fayetteville Woodpeckers at bat
(Fayetteville Woodpeckers)

Fayetteville, NC - The Fayetteville Woodpeckers (42-52, 12-16 2nd Half) overcame a 3-0 deficit and 4-3 deficit on Saturday night to force extra innings before falling 5-4 in ten frames to the Down East Wood Ducks (51-39, 14-15 2nd Half) at Segra Stadium. Despite a third loss in a row, newly acquired Houston Astros draft picks Brice Matthews, Ryan Johnson and Jeron Williams all came up with hits in their Single-A debuts.

Four of the five Down East runs scored with two outs, including three against Trey Dombroski over the first four innings of the game. Gleider Figuereo singled home a run in the first, plus Anthony Guitierrez and JoJo Blackmon linked for consecutive two-out RBI hits in the fourth for a 3-0 lead. Dombroski completed four innings and struck out five while not issuing a walk.

Still scoreless in the sixth, Ryan Johnson ended the drought with a two-run home run to left-center field off Kohl Drake, cutting the score to 3-2. The homer was the first in Johnson's pro career. He was selected in the 8th round out of Pepperdine in this year's draft.

In the seventh, Luis Encarnacion hustled out a would-be double-play ball that allowed John Garcia to score from third and tie the game 3-3.

Figuereo had a quick response in the top of the eighth, singling home Andres Mesa for a 4-3 Down East advantage.

With two-outs in the bottom of the eighth and needing a run, Hector Nieves delivered the big swing, tying the game at 4-4 with a 406 ft. homer to right field. The home run was the second of the series for Nieves. Luis Baez nearly won the game in the bottom of the ninth, slugging a double off the middle of the left-center field wall on the fly. Baez ended up being stranded on base to extend the game to the tenth.

Fayetteville reliever Deury Carrasco (L, 4-5) struck out the side in order in the top of the ninth ninth and returned to pitch in extra innings. He gave up a one-out single to Ian Moller that scored the free runner Andres Mesa. It proved to be the winning run once Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa (W, 1-1) retired the side in order in the bottom of the tenth to seal the game.

The series will conclude on Sunday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 2:05 PM. Fayetteville is projected to start LHP Jose Nodal (1-9, 7.49 ERA) and Down East will counter with RHP Bryan Chi (0-0, 0.00 ERA). It's Houston Astros Day at Segra Stadium as we honor our big league club! The first 1,000 fans in the park will receive a bobblehead of former Woodpeckers infielder and World Series MVP Jeremy Peña, courtesy of DSI.

Check out the Fayetteville Woodpeckers Statistics

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Fayetteville Woodpeckers at bat
Fayetteville Woodpeckers at bat
   



Carolina League Stories from July 29, 2023


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